The White Bikini
by RhysMerilot
Summary: AU: Emma and Regina meet while on vacation...[Complete]
1. Part I

**Inspired by a tweet Gaby (EvilParrilla) posted the other day. This one is all your fault, Gaby! All mistakes are my own. Enjoy!**

* * *

Emma Swan exhaled sharply as she wriggled her toes in the soft sand on the beach. She could not for the life of her remember the last time she had taken a vacation, but it had been long overdue and the trip down to Jamaica was a treat to herself after a rather stressful end to her last semester in university.

Armed fresh with a degree in communications and journalism and several potential job prospects on the horizon when she returned to Boston, Emma was finally free of the endless hours of studying, the never-ending essays, and nerve-wracking exams She tugged on her oversized floppy white hat and smiled as she stared out over the ocean before she turned on her heels and walked over to the bar nestled on the busy, crowded beach just off the path that lead up to the small hotel she was staying in.

"Can I get a sunset, please?" Emma asked the bartender with a smile and he nodded, moving to fill the glass with ice before making the mix in a shaker. The bartender topped it off with a pineapple garnish and stuck in a straw. "Thanks."

Emma turned and looked out over the crowded beach and sipped her drink, taking in the subtle hints of fruit punch, lime, gin and vodka. She had immediately changed into her bathing suit and threw on a pair of shorts the moment she'd got to the room. She wasn't about to waste a single moment of her vacation and it was hot outside and the sun was already high in the sky.

There were a lot of older tourists lying on towels in the sand, enjoying the sun and the heat. Emma had ten glorious days to spend doing just that and she planned on spending as much time as she could on the beach and soaking up the hot Jamaican sun. She noticed many of the people on the beach were there with someone, whether it be friends, a boyfriend, girlfriend, or their family. Emma had made the trip alone and her roommate and best friend, Ruby Lucas, had to skip the trip because her grandmother had a heart attack two days before they had graduated.

Emma took another sip of her drink and her eyes landed on a woman lying on a towel not too far from where she was standing by the bar and it was plainly obvious that she was there alone. She wore a white bikini and had a matching flower tucked behind her right ear and her hair was dark and short. Emma leaned subtly to the side to get a better look at the woman and she watched with bated breath as the woman subtly leaned up on her elbows and glanced out over the water, a brilliant smile curling over her full red lips.

 _"_ _Whatever you do, Ems, don't go falling in love with the first hot girl you see," Ruby teased as she drove Emma to the airport. "I'm serious, Emma."_

 _"_ _I know you are and I won't! Do you honestly think I'm going to meet some beautiful woman and fall in love with her? I'm only going to be there for ten days."_

 _"_ _Ten days is plenty of time for a vacation romance."_

 _"_ _Shut up, Ruby."_

 _"_ _I know you too well, Ems, and I know your weakness."_

 _"_ _Brunettes are not my weakness," Emma said with a shake of her head. "Ruby, I am not going down there just to hook up with some beautiful woman. I am going down there to—"_

 _"_ _Regroup, relax, drink, soak up the sun, and fuck the first woman you set your eyes on."_

Emma shook her head as she recalled the conversation between her and Ruby in the car at three-thirty in the morning as they drove to the airport. Emma knew all too well what Ruby was getting at because in their freshman year, they'd driven up into Maine, to Portland, and spent spring break on the beach there with their friends they'd known since grade school. It was there that Emma had met, fallen in love, and had her heart broken in less than seven days by Lily Page, a beautiful brunette she'd met during a bonfire party on the beach the first night they were there.

Emma had spent months trying to forget what had happened that week and she had spent months moping about the apartment she shared just off campus with Ruby. She had vowed that it would never happen again, yet the following spring break they found themselves back at the very same beach and Emma had fallen back into Lily Page's bed before the first day was over.

It had been different that time because instead of Lily breaking her heart, they fell into a relationship they both struggled with due to the four hour drive they did back and forth from Portland to Boston every weekend. It lasted until Emma had started her senior year and she'd made the drive up to Portland to see her right before the semester started, the trip itself a surprise and one that ended with her heart utterly broken and her soul devastatingly crushed.

She had caught Lily in bed with another woman, a blonde-haired piece of trash she remembered seeing on their regular trips to the seaside diner for breakfast every other Sunday morning. Emma missed the first three days of the semester and spent every waking moment crying in bed while Ruby tried to console her. By the time she'd cried herself out, she vowed never to fall in love with a woman she met while on vacation or any other time for that matter.

Emma swallowed thickly before she sipped her drink, staring at the woman in the white bikini while she took a small trip down memory lane and a painful memory that served as nothing but a reminder to her that it was one thing to look and admire from afar, but it was a whole other story if she got too close.

She couldn't and wouldn't let this trip turn into another Lily Page romance situation. She wasn't there to find love, or even someone to take to bed for one night. She was there to regroup, to rest, to relax, and to soak up the sun.

Emma just couldn't tear her eyes away from the woman in the white bikini and she chewed at the tip of her straw when the woman stood up from her blanket and fixed her tiny bottoms that drew her eyes down to her firm, pliable ass. Emma quickly finished her drink as she watched her walk across the beach down towards the water and she turned to order herself another drink before looking back and finding the woman nowhere to be seen.

"Do you know where I can get one of those blankets?"

"Over at that cabana, love," the man replied with a thick accent and a smile as he pointed to the red and white striped cabana near the hotel's pool. "Take a stick. Place it in the sand upright and I'll bring you another drink."

"Thank you," Emma said and she picked up the colourful stick from the pile in a basket in front of the bar and headed over to the red and white striped cabana to get a blanket so she could lay out on the sand under the sun for a couple of hours.

It wasn't by choice that she ended up beside the beautiful brunette's blanket, there were literally no other open spaces as the beach continued to fill up with people returning from the hotel restaurant as the lunch hour ended. She hadn't even realized it was hers until she felt a few drops of water fall upon her skin and she opened her eyes, finding herself staring straight up at the beautiful brunette in the white bikini.

"Hi," Emma said shyly as she slid her sunglasses off.

"Hello," the woman replied curtly before laying back on her blanket and closed her eyes immediately.

Emma recognized her slight accent. "Are you from Boston by any chance?"

"Hmm?" The woman asked as she turned her head and opened her eyes. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes," Emma smiled. "Well?"

"I am. And you?"

"Same."

"Wonderful," the woman scoffed and closed her eyes before turning her head back.

Emma frowned and put her sunglasses back on, hiding behind them as her eyes lingered over the tanned body next to her. The woman was definitely in good shape and lean and judging from the tone of her skin, it wasn't just tan from the sun either. Emma drank in every inch of her, from her lean but sculpted arms and legs, to her flat stomach and then her breasts that were barely encased in the strapless top she wore.

Emma knew she shouldn't stare, but the woman was gorgeous and it had been a while since she'd been with anyone, much less allowed herself to blatantly look at another woman in a hungrily lustful way.

She had to force those thoughts out of her mind. This was definitely not what she had come here for, to lust after some stranger who just happened to be from the same city as her. She didn't even know her name and after the way the woman had responded, it was unlikely that if she asked, she would tell her. Emma inhaled deeply a few times before finishing off her drink, stopping herself from reaching for the colourful stick next to her since she knew she needed to pace herself and not end up drunk before three in the afternoon on her first day.

Emma spent the next few hours laying in the sun and by the time five rolled around, she opened her eyes and found the beautiful brunette who had been beside her was gone, as was her blanket. The crowd on the beach had thinned out and Emma decided to head back to her room to shower before heading down to the restaurant for the dinner rush. She pulled her wet hair back into a loose bun before deciding on wearing the white sundress she had bought just for the trip and her flip-flops.

Of course the restaurant was packed despite the hotel being rather small, but there were also a few locals dining and she was informed by the hostess that there was a half an hour wait for a table if she was dining by herself and was escorted to the packed bar to wait. She sat down at the far end of the bar and the moment she did, she turned to the side and nearly laughed when she saw it was the woman in the white bikini.

Only now, of course, she was wearing a sleek and short black dress and heels. She wore a gold bangle bracelet on her left wrist and dangling gold earrings. In her hair, in place of the flower that had been there earlier, it was clipped back with a small gold hair clip to keep her short bangs from falling into her eyes.

"Hi," Emma smiled and this time she didn't sound as shy as she had the first time. "So we meet again."

"Yes, unfortunately, we do," she replied lowly and reached for the glass of red wine in front of her and took a sip. She sighed and turned to face Emma with a small frown falling into place. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude," she said apologetically and she extended her right hand towards Emma. "I'm Regina."

"Emma."

"So, you're from Boston?" Regina asked once they had shook hands.

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "I actually just graduated."

"You look a little old to be a high school student."

"University," she laughed and she saw the faint smirk curl over Regina's red lips before she took another sip of her wine.

"I see," Regina said after a moment. "Let me guess, Harvard?"

"God no, I could never afford that! Boston U."

"Ah, a fellow Terrier! I graduated just last year myself. What did you study?"

"Communications and journalism. You?"

"Business."

Emma chuckled quietly. She should've seen that coming considering the way the woman spoke and carried herself. Emma motioned to the bartender and he made his way towards her.

"Could I get a Corona please?" Emma asked and he nodded, returning a few minutes later with a cold bottle of Corona with a lime wedge fixed on top. "Thank you," she smiled before popping the lime into the bottle and lifted it to her lips and took a sip. "First time here?"

"No," Regina said with a small shake of her head. "I make the trip down here every June, although this is my first time being here alone."

"Ah," Emma nodded and took another sip of her beer. "It's my first time."

"And how are you finding it so far?"

"It's pretty amazing," she chuckled. "And hot. Really hot."

"You're a little bit burnt, dear. You should be careful. The sun down here is far stronger than what your fair skin is used to."

Emma nodded, feeling her cheeks flush as she turned on the stool and sipped her beer. Regina was breathtaking, there was no doubt about that, and her voice was husky in a way that made her want to keep her talking just so she could listen to that husky burr in her voice for hours.

"Are you dining alone?" Regina asked in a move that took Emma by complete surprise. "Emma?"

"Huh? Oh uh, yeah, I am. Like you, I'm here alone."

"How about we see about getting a table for two? I'm certain we'll be seated far quicker that way."

"Okay, sure."

"That is, if you don't mind having dinner with me?"

"Not at all, Regina," Emma smiled, albeit a little too eagerly and she felt her heart skip a beat at the sound of Regina's laugh that slipped past her lips.

Emma slipped off the stool and followed her to where the hostess stood behind a small stand. Regina held her glass of wine in her left hand while she spoke with the woman, animatedly talking as she waved her hand back at Emma before the hostess checked the seating chart and gave her a small nod before leading the two of them through the crowded restaurant and to a table beside the windows that overlooked the beach.

Regina sat down first and gestured to Emma to take the seat in front of her at the small table. Emma took a sip of her beer before taking a seat across from the gorgeous brunette. She drank in the sight of her under the dim light of the restaurant and she was afforded with the chance to truly look at her. Regina's makeup was light, ruby red lips and black eyeliner, possibly mascara too but it was hard to tell in the dim light. When she smiled, the scar on her upper right lip deepened, but the imperfection made her look even more perfect than she already looked and Emma swallowed hard, knowing in that very moment that she was a lost cause when it came to beautiful women and falling in lust with them from the very first look.

While they looked over their menu's in silence and then ordered when a waiter came to their table ten minutes after they'd been seated, the silence between them began to feel awkward and Emma fidgeted with the cloth napkin she had already placed over her lap.

"Are you—"

"Do you—"

"I'm sorry," Emma stammered quietly.

"You go first," Regina replied with a soft smile.

"Are you married?" Emma asked, noticing the faint white line around her left ring finger. "Divorced?"

"Neither," Regina replied and she glanced down at her hand and let out a small laugh after she realized where that question had come from. "I never travel with my father's ring. People automatically assume I'm married when they see it, but that is no bother to me. It keeps off unwanted advances from men."

"Oh?"

Regina chuckled and licked over her lips slowly as she leaned forward. "If you must know," she said lowly. "I prefer women."

"You prefer women?" Emma repeated dumbly and she shook her head, feeling the blush on her cheeks grow and she was convinced she would spend the entire meal making a complete idiot out of herself.

"And you? Do you have someone special waiting for you back home in Boston, Emma?" Regina asked casually as she sat back in her chair and lifted her nearly empty glass of wine to her lips. "A boyfriend? A girlfriend, perhaps?"

"N—no, there isn't anyone special back home," Emma replied with a shake of her head. "There hasn't been for a while. I—I had a bad breakup before classes started at the end of the summer last year and I focused on my studies all year."

"I see."

"I—I prefer women too," Emma muttered under her breath and placed a hand on her burning hot cheek as she cast her eyes down to her lap.

"I know," Regina chuckled and she reached out for Emma's hand that was gripping on to her bottle of Corona. "I saw you staring at me while we were out on the beach this afternoon."

"I didn't mean to—"

"I didn't mind," Regina winked as she gave her hand a gentle squeeze and her fingers trailed over Emma's before she pulled it away slowly.

Emma smiled nervously. Regina was flirting with her. Flirting. With _her_! Emma lifted her bottle and downed the rest of her beer in one big sip and she nearly slammed the bottle down on the table when she saw Regina openly raking her eyes over her chest. The dress was cut low and she'd skipped a bra when she'd gotten dressed and now she worried if that was a good idea at all because her nipples were semi-erect in the somewhat cool, air-conditioned restaurant.

Emma licked over her suddenly dry lips and motioned to the waiter that she was ready for another drink. She knew she'd have to keep it to a two-drink minimum. Her tolerance for alcohol was definitely not up to par, not like it had been in her freshman year when she and Ruby went to every party on campus they'd been invited to. There was no way she was getting drunk with the beautiful brunette whose eyes were locked with hers the moment she turned to look back at her.

Beautiful, soulful, brown eyes Emma found herself becoming lost in within mere seconds. She cleared her throat and subtly crossed her arms on the table in an attempt to hide her breasts and her nipples that were now suddenly rock hard and it wasn't just from the air-conditioning either.

Regina raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, but said nothing as the waiter placed a cold bottle of Corona in front of Emma and filled up her wine glass. Emma continued to fidget with her cloth napkin and was grateful when their dinner finally arrived on the table.

They talked very little while they ate, Emma with her medium rare steak and salad on the side instead of the baked potato and Regina with her fish on a bed of white rice, rice she barely touched, and a salad similar to Emma's on the side. By the time they finished their meal, Regina was heading back to the bar to order another drink and Emma followed, but she declined the offer to join her for another drink.

"Thank you for having dinner with me," Emma said as she reached out and placed a hand on Regina's bare shoulder. "I'll see you around tomorrow maybe?"

"Of course," Regina smiled. "Good night, Emma."

"Yeah. Good night."

Emma made her way out of the restaurant, her heart racing wildly as she walked towards the elevator and waited. Once she was back in her room that overlooked the Caribbean Sea, she kicked off her flip-flips, stripped out of her dress and changed into the oversized t-shirt she normally wore to bed. She flopped down on the queen-sized mattress and reached for the phone on the little bedside table. After the front desk answered her call, she hung up and picked the phone back up, punching nine before dialling Ruby's number. She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes as she waited for her best friend to answer the call and all she saw beyond her closed eyelids was Regina's face, her dazzling smile and her beautiful brown eyes staring straight back at her.

"Hello?"

"Rubes, it's me," Emma said in a rush. "I think I'm in big trouble."

"Trouble? Ems, what are you talking about? Did something happen? You didn't smoke any reefer and landed yourself in a Jamaican jail now, did you?"

"No!" Emma groaned and she laid an arm over her eyes. "I met someone."

"You met someone? Already?"

"Ruby—"

"Is she hot?"

"She's drop dead gorgeous."

"And brunette," Ruby chuckled and Emma wished she was there with her so she could punch her in the shoulder for being right. "So, what is her name? Tell me everything, Ems. Everything."

Emma took a deep breath before she began to speak. "Her name is Regina…"

[X]

Emma had spent a good hour on the phone with Ruby, talking about Regina for the first half hour and then telling her all about the hotel and the beach for the last half hour. She ended up going to sleep early and she woke up before the sun even began to peak over the horizon. She pulled on her bikini and her blue striped shorts. She skipped the hat and the tank top she'd pulled out of her suitcase and grabbed some socks and her running shoes.

After finding out from the front desk where the road out in front of the hotel led and finding out just how safe the little village it led to was, Emma took off, getting in her morning jog despite the fact that she was on vacation. She wasn't going to let that stop her from keeping herself in shape and she wanted to explore a little bit outside of the hotel's grounds before the streets grew busy with tourists and locals.

Despite the heat that hung in the air so early in the morning, there was a nice breeze coming off the water and she ran until her lungs burned and her body ached deliciously. After a quick exploration around the village, she stretched and jogged briskly back down the winding road to the hotel. She headed straight down to the beach, getting herself a blanket from the red and white striped cabana and found herself a nice spot not too far from the water, delighted to find the beach wasn't quite that busy just yet. She pulled off her shoes and her socks, stuffing them inside the shoes before she stripped out of her shorts and quickly made her way down to the water.

It was warm, but refreshing as she waded out until the water came up to her hips, the waves rolling in one after another, but not too high or too strong. She dove under the water and swam out a little further, stopping only when the sandbar did and she turned around and swam back to shore. The warm water not only felt refreshing, but it stripped the sweat she'd accumulated during her run and left her feeling less sticky and gross. She emerged from the water and headed for her blanket, not surprised in the least to find the gorgeous brunette spreading out her own blanket and wearing the same white bikini from the day before.

"Hi," Emma smiled as she clumsily flopped down on to the blanket.

"Good morning, Emma," Regina said in a rather cheerful tone and she sat down on her blanket and reached inside the bag she had near her side. She pulled out a bottle of sunscreen and handed it to Emma with a slight rise of an eyebrow. "You'll need this if you plan on laying out here for any period of time."

"Thanks," Emma said with a slight frown because she had forgotten to put some on before she went for her run and then again had forgotten to run up to her room to get the bottle she'd purchased in the airport because she had forgotten to pack the one she bought back in Boston two days ago.

Emma lathered herself in the sunscreen and she caught Regina staring at her every time she glanced over at her. With a titter, Regina motioned for Emma to lie on her stomach.

"I'll get your back for you, unless you find it strange to have a perfect stranger touching you?"

"No it—it's fine. I got the spray kind because well, it's be absolutely impossible for me to get my own back and everything and jesus!" Emma shrieked as Regina squirted the sunscreen directly on her back. "That's cold!"

Regina just chuckled and knelt beside her, smoothing her hands over Emma's back and spread the lotion generously and suspiciously taking her sweet time as well. Every time her fingers swept under the straps of Emma's bikini, she inhaled deeply and tried to clench her thighs together to stop the constant throbbing in her clit.

When Regina's fingers swept down to the small of her back, Emma couldn't hold back the moan that escaped past her lips and she blushed in embarrassment when Regina just chuckled and spread the sunscreen, her fingers dipping slightly into the top of her bikini bottoms.

"I—I think you got it all," Emma stammered as she began to push herself up from the blanket. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure, Emma," Regina replied with a wink before she moved to lay down on her own blanket and closed her eyes as she turned her face up to the cloudless blue sky.

Emma lay baking under the sun, idly chatting with Regina over the course of the morning before her stomach began to growl and demand food since she'd skipped over breakfast without a second thought at the time. Regina invited her to dine with her and after Emma had ran up to her room to put on her white tank top and swap her shoes for her flip-flops, she found Regina waiting for her just outside the restaurant with a brilliant smile curling over her lips the moment her eyes caught sight of Emma once she'd stepped off the elevator.

Emma was definitely in trouble because the more time she spent with Regina, the more she wanted to get to know the gorgeous woman. She didn't want to fuck her, to have a vacation fling with someone who lived in the same city as her, no, what she wanted was something more. She was definitely in trouble all right.

"The hostess said the wait wouldn't be too long," Regina said quietly and Emma nodded, almost grateful for that on one hand and the other was a little bit sad they wouldn't get to spend more time together than what was necessary for lunch. "Come, let's get a drink while we wait."

"I thought you said it won't be too long?"

"Yes, but we can still get a drink while we wait, can't we?" Regina asked with a wink and grabbed a hold of Emma's hand and led her towards the bar. "Two waters, please. Bottled."

"Afraid to live a little and drink the water straight from the tap?" Emma chuckled as they took a seat side by side on the stools.

"I would not advise doing that," Regina replied with a slight roll of her eyes and then raised an eyebrow at her. "You have, haven't you?"

"God, no!" Emma laughed and she loved the way Regina smiled at her, a far cry from the scowl she'd had on her face when Emma first said hello to her the day before out on the beach. "I may look like an idiot, act like an idiot, but I'm certainly not an idiot."

"That remains to be proven, dear."

"Thanks," Emma laughed and Regina playfully bumped a shoulder against hers.

Lunch was a little bit more relaxed than dinner had been the night before. They were both becoming more at east around one another, both opening up, asking questions and answering with ease. Regina invited her to dinner that evening as well and after they had finished their meal, she invited Emma along on an excursion since she had an extra ticket.

Emma wanted to decline the offer, knowing how much the excursions were when she had booked her trip and declined to sign up for any of them. She had limited funds for the trip and the spending money she'd brought with her would be used on gifts to bring back for Ruby and several of their other friends. She wanted to decline the offer for a host of other reasons, but the words "no thank you" failed to come out as Regina excitedly took her hand and led her through the hotel to where a small group had gathered in the smaller lobby on the far end of the building.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked, standing closer to Regina as she clutched a little tighter on to her hand.

"Zip-lining," Regina grinned widely. "Are you up for that, Emma?"

She loved the way Regina said her name, drawing out the "A" a little each time. Emma inhaled sharply and nodded, never one to pass up an opportunity to try something new and exciting. While the guide went through the list, Emma sucked in a deep breath as he approached her and Regina.

"Regina Mills," she stated simply. "And Emma."

"Swan," she added with a small smile and felt Regina squeeze her hand. "I'm not on the list."

"She's using my guest ticket," Regina said and the man just looked at the two of them and glanced at their joined hands. He let out a grunt, checked her name off the list and moved on to the people standing beside them. "Swan?"

"Yeah."

"I like it," Regina smiled and winked before the other guide waved at the group to come outside and board the rickety old bus.

They ended up in the back of the bus, squished together on the small and hard seat. Regina had let go of her hand when they boarded the bus and Emma wanted to reach out and slip her hand into hers once more. She fidgeted with the hem of her shorts, finding them fraying slightly at the edges and frowned.

"How come you have two?" Emma asked as Regina casually placed her arm along the back of the seat just shy of Emma's shoulders. "Were you supposed to come here with someone?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

It was the one thing they hadn't brought up while they talked, at least Regina hadn't even though Emma explained that her roommate had to look after her grandmother as she recovered from a mild heart attack. Regina was tight lipped about any of her past relationships and Emma wasn't one to pry, especially not with a perfect stranger who was fast becoming a friend.

A friend she found herself thinking about in more than just a friendly manner most of the time.

"There was…someone for a while," Regina said quietly, so quietly over the chatter of excited people finding seats on the bus that Emma had to lean in close in order to hear her. "It was serious. We had been together since high school, but the passion, the fire that burned between us had fizzled over the years. After our last trip down here, we decided to end things."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not," Regina replied and a smile curled over her lips as she turned to look at Emma. "I wouldn't have met you had I still been with _her_ , would I?"

"I don't know?"

Regina laughed and placed her other hand on Emma's thigh that was pressed up against hers. "The answer is no, you and I would've never met. Danni and I used to stay in a different hotel a few miles north from here."

"Oh."

"Emma, I'm glad I met you even if our first meeting was less than impressionable for you," Regina said sincerely. "I was in a foul mood and I shouldn't have reacted that way."

"It's fine," Emma said and she managed a weak smile. "Really, it's fine. Look at us now, we're friends, right?"

"Friends?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow. "Is that what we are?"

"Yes?"

"Are you always so uncertain, dear?"

"No?"

Regina laughed and gave her thigh a gentle squeeze, not moving her hand until the rickety old bus started up and took off with a jolt that made Emma second-guess her decision in agreeing to go along on this excursion with Regina Mills. The bus ride was long and left Emma feeling a little nauseous by the time it came to a sudden, jerky stop.

Regina was laughing at the look of horror on Emma's face and all Emma could do was scowl as they stood in the narrow aisle and waited to get off the bus. Regina moved closer behind her and Emma leaned back as her arms snaked around her hips and pulled her in close. The flirting could've been read one way or another, Emma deciding that perhaps Regina was just flirty by nature, but this was different, this was more than flirting. It was a sure sign and Emma wasn't sure what to make of it or of Regina Mills in that moment.

They finally made it off the bus and Emma's heart was racing for a grand total of three reasons. One, she had never been zip-lining in her life and seeing the platform they'd be on and the line that went through the jungle made her nervous already. Two, the bus ride had been an adventure in itself and she wasn't sure if she was willing to get back on to return to the hotel later. And three, Regina had barely moved from her side as they followed the large group to join the two guides who were already on the platform and shouting out instructions to the crowd.

Emma knew she most definitely needed to make another phone call to Ruby later because there was something definitely happening between her and Regina and she was absolutely terrified of finding out just what that was.

They were one of the last to approach the platform and the echoing sounds of the people going down the zip-line while screaming joyfully did not ease Emma's fears in the least. Regina's hand had found its way to the small of her back when about half of the crowd had gone down and by the time they were six people away from it being their turn, Regina's fingers had dipped under the hem of her tank top and were lightly stroking along her skin just above her shorts.

"Next!" The heavier set guide shouted and Regina playfully slapped Emma's ass and nudged her forward.

"Me?"

"Yes," Regina grinned. "You first. I'll be right behind you."

"Right," Emma muttered and she stepped into the harness the heavy-set guide helped her into and he tightened the straps before clicking her in to the flimsy looking rope attached to the line. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Don't be scared," the guide said with a smile. "It's perfectly safe. See?" He said, pointing down to the crowd that had already made it down that were watching and waiting. "Whenever you're ready, miss. Just remove your shoes first and hold on tightly. If you drop them, I'm afraid you won't get them back."

"Okay."

Emma bent over and removed her flip-flops and held them tightly in her hands as she inched towards the edge of the platform. She looked over her shoulder, surprised to find Regina just behind her with a smile curled over her lips.

"Are you going to go, Emma?"

"Yes?"

"Still uncertain?"

"Yes?" Emma squeaked out quietly. "I'm all for adventure and everything, but I'm not so sure I can do this."

"Don't look down," Regina whispered huskily into her ear before giving her a gentle little shove that caused her to lose her balance enough that she went flying over the edge.

Emma let out a scream in surprise and then fear and then in exhilaration as she soared over and then through the jungle. By the time she came to a quick stop at the end of the line, her heart was racing for a whole different reason and she waited for the guide there to unclip her before she removed the harness herself and turned to watch as Regina came soaring down the line with a huge smile on her face.

As soon as Regina was out of the harness, she let out a laugh that sent delicious shivers down Emma's spine and Regina flung an arm around her shoulders as they followed the crowd off the low platform and down to a similar bus that was waiting to take them to the next destination on their excursion.

"Wasn't that fun?"

"You pushed me!"

"But it was fun, wasn't it?" Regina asked and Emma rolled her eyes and shrugged, a move that elicited that amazing laugh past Regina's lips once more.

Yeah, Emma was definitely in trouble and she had that warm, yet sinking feeling that before the day was over, she would know what it was like to kiss those full red lips that couldn't seem to stop smiling at her.

[X]

The never did make it to the next destination on the excursion. The bus broke down and while they waited for another, the clouds rolled in overhead and a storm broke out. By the time they made it back to the hotel, the storm had gotten worse and the quick dash from the rickety old bus to the lobby had left them both utterly drenched.

They were the last of the crowd to get on the elevator after waiting for it to return to the lobby. Thunder crashed loudly outside and Emma found herself staring at Regina, watching her as she looked out to the tall windows that led out to the pool area and watched the storm raging outside. Once they were inside the elevator, they both reached for the same button and Emma just laughed at the coincidence that they were staying on the same floor.

"Would you like to come for a drink?" Regina asked as the elevator came to a stop on the fifth floor. "I brought along some of my cider from home. I cannot quite go almost two weeks without it."

"Uh, okay?" Emma shrugged and Regina just smiled as she reached for her hand and tugged her down the opposite direction of Emma's room and they came to a stop at the last room at the end of the hallway. "Do you make it yourself? The cider?"

"Yes," Regina said with a nod as she pulled out her room key and slid it in the lock. "It's quite exquisite if I say so myself."

"I've never had it before."

"You're in for a treat," Regina winked as she stepped into the room and held the door open for Emma. Once inside, she shut the door and walked past Emma towards the small bar fridge that was nestled into the built in bookshelf along one wall. She pulled out a dark bottle and set it down on the coffee table with a small smile. Her room was far different than Emma's, with a small sitting area and the bedroom off to one side beyond a closed door. "Strip."

"What?"

"Your clothes are wet, Emma. I doubt the hotel would appreciate you sitting on the sofa in wet clothes."

"Right," Emma muttered as she pulled at her wet tank top before she peeled it off. Her shorts followed and she held her wet clothes in her hand as she slipped out of her flip-flops and watched Regina strip out of her own clothes.

"Here, I'll hang them in the bathroom so they'll dry a little quicker."

Emma just wordlessly handed over her wet clothes and as Regina walked away, she ran a hand over her bikini bottoms, finding them to be mostly dry, and she sat down on the sofa and fidgeted with her fingers as she waited for Regina to return. When Regina did return, Emma swallowed thickly as she watched her stroll across the living room towards her in just her little white bikini.

Regina grabbed two clear plastic cups that sat on the shelf just above the small fridge and she turned with a slight sway in her hips and placed them on the coffee table. She poured them each a glass of her homemade cider, smiling as she handed one to Emma before lifting the other into her hand and sitting on the sofa next to her.

"What do you think?" Regina asked the moment Emma had taken her first sip.

"It's…interesting."

"Interesting, hmm?"

"A good interesting," Emma chuckled and she took another sip, the second taste a little bit better than the first.

"Come," Regina said as she reached for Emma's hand. "Let's go watch the storm from the balcony."

"But it's raining."

"It's dry, see?" Regina said as she pulled Emma towards the sliding door and opened it quickly. "Don't you just love storms, Emma?"

"Yeah," she smiled as she followed Regina out onto the relatively dry balcony, the day almost as dark as night as darker clouds rolled in overhead. "I do."

Emma sipped her cider from her plastic glass as Regina's hand fell upon the small of her back, her tank top no longer affording the barrier that had been there before and a warm, delicious shiver rolled down her spine at Regina's warm, soft fingers along her skin.

Emma wasn't quite sure who made that first move, but one moment her eyes were focused on the storm as lightning crashed down over the water and the next she was staring into Regina's soulful brown eyes. Before she could even register the fact that they were just a hairsbreadth away, they were kissing, hard and deep, their cups of cider forgotten as they fell to the balcony floor and their hands reached out for one another.

Emma grunted as Regina pressed her up against the glass, her lips moving from her own and trailing hot, open mouthed kisses along her neck. The raging storm was quickly forgotten as Regina pushed the sliding door back open, her arms wrapping around Emma's body as their lips met once more. They stumbled back inside the room, hands grasping as they kissed with hot, wanton desire.

Emma's hands roamed over Regina's back, stopping as she reached her bikini top where it tied together in a neat knot and bow. Emma pulled back from Regina's lips, panting hard as she tugged gently. Regina moaned as she ran her hands over Emma's backside and pulled her against the thigh she slipped between her legs.

"Regina…"

"Do you want this?" Regina murmured and Emma nodded. "Do you want me?"

"Yes."

"Then take me," she said as her breath hitched in her chest. "Bedroom," she said before she crushed their lips together once more

Emma couldn't stop as they stumbled towards the door that led to the bedroom. She didn't _want_ to stop, not when kissing her felt so damn good and so damn right. She felt that spark when they were kissing and it was unlike anything she had ever felt with anyone else before. Regina chuckled against her lips when Emma tugged on the tie on the back of her top and she pulled back, a lascivious smile curling over her full red lips.

Emma had always been a top in the bedroom, but she was getting the feeling from the way Regina was looking at her that it wouldn't quite be that way. Regina was powerful, demanding, and in control. She'd seen it in just the two days since she'd first seen her sunbathing in her little white bikini out on the beach. She'd seen it when they'd had dinner and she'd seen it throughout the day. Regina was a woman in charge and her confidence in herself showed in every last inch of her.

Emma would've never thought she'd have a chance with someone like Regina Mills, but with the way she was being devoured with those beautiful brown eyes as she was slowly backed up to the bed, she knew she definitely had a chance and she had to make sure that she didn't royally screw it up for herself.

With a grin, Emma pulled Regina flush against her body, kissing her with wild abandon as her fingers tugged at the bow and slid the knot undone. For a moment she could feel Regina's fingers trembling as she reached for the clasp that held her top together, but the moment it snapped free it was pulled from her body just as she let Regina's top fall to the floor at their feet. The moment Emma felt her bare breasts against her own, hard nipples sliding over her skin, she moaned and clutched on to Regina tighter as she turned her around slowly and lowered her down to the bed without breaking their kiss.

Emma straddled her hips and pulled back from her lips, sitting back on her haunches while breathing heavily as Regina's hands skimmed up her thighs, up over her abdomen and to her breasts, her thumbs rolling over her hard nipples as Emma drank in the sight of the gorgeous woman beneath her. Thunder crashed loudly outside, close enough to rattle the hotel, but neither were paying attention to the storm raging outside as they stared into one another's eyes, a storm of their own building rapidly.

Emma bit her bottom lip before dipping her head down and kissing Regina once more. She couldn't quite get enough of her, of the way she responded in earnest to her, and the way she tasted of cider and a hint of something peachy made her crave her so much more.

Regina was quick to roll them over and grinned as she pulled back from Emma's lips. Emma simply lay there as they were locked in another intense gaze for just a few lingering moments before Regina's lips were kissing along the column of her neck as her thigh slid between Emma's legs. Emma could feel her wetness seeping from her core as Regina pressed her firm thigh against her pussy almost erratically as her lips rained kisses along her neck.

With a soft moan, Emma raked her nails over Regina's shoulders and down her back. While things had felt like it had gone from zero to sixty out on the balcony, something deep down told her that the slow they had suddenly succumbed to would not last for much longer. Regina's teeth grazed over her pulse point and Emma moaned breathlessly as she rolled her hips upwards, seeing out more friction against her throbbing, aching clit.

Regina continued on her delicious descent down her body, each kiss lingering before placing another against her warm skin just below it. Emma wasn't used to things going so slowly, but with the constant rumble of pleasure that coursed through her body, she certainly didn't mind it at all.

Even over the roar of the rain as it picked up outside and pattered against the windows and the outside walls, Emma could hear Regina's breathy sighs and moans as she kissed over the top curve of her left breast and pulled the nipple in her mouth with her teeth. Emma threw her head back against the mattress, her hands falling from where they were still idly stroking over Regina's shoulders and back, and she gripped at the bed spread as Regina sucked harder.

Regina moved harder against Emma's right thigh as a hand snaked down her abdomen and she didn't hold back as she slipped her hand between Emma's legs, rubbing her roughly through her now damp bikini bottoms. Emma cried out loudly, her whole body reacting to Regina's fingers teasing her clit, only a thin barrier of fabric keeping her from touching her exactly where she needed to be touched. Emma moved a hand to the back of Regina's head and stroked her fingers through her soft, dark hair before sliding her hand to the nape of her neck and guiding her back up to her lips.

The kiss was quick to end and Regina leaned back and pulled her hand away from between Emma's legs. She smirked as Emma laid there, staring up at her, drinking in the sight of her as she moved her hands to the strings that tied her white bikini bottoms together on both hips. With a wiggle of her eyebrows and a lick over her lips, Regina pulled both strings and pulled her bottoms away with ease. Emma's breath hitched in her chest as the let her eyes roam freely over Regina's naked form. There was no denying the woman was gorgeous with the bikini on, but without it? Emma could hardly seem to form a coherent thought.

"Fuck," Emma murmured after Regina settled down on her thigh and she could feel just how truly wet and turned on she was.

Regina hummed in delight as Emma ran her hands up her smooth, tanned thighs. Her eyes went to the tiny strip of hair between her legs and she traced the edges of her thumbs over it. She bit her bottom lip as she slipped a single finger between Regina's folds, teasing it over her clit once, twice, and then a third time before Regina fell forward and crushed their lips together again.

Even on the bottom, Emma found a way to top Regina, yet in the short time she'd known the gorgeous woman, she knew not to underestimate her even for just a split second. Emma teased over her clit until she felt Regina's fingers sliding under her bikini bottoms, her short nails raking through her closely cropped hair before slipping through her folds with ease.

Regina bit her bottom lip as she moaned, wave after wave of pleasure coursing deliciously through her body as Emma's fingers teased her throbbing clit. When Regina rolled her hips down hard, trapping Emma's hand between her pussy and Emma's thigh, she eased a finger inside Regina's tight, clenching hole, obeying her unspoken demand.

Another wave of intoxicating pleasure coursed through her body when her mind briefly entertained the thought of her relinquishing complete and utter control to Regina, to be at her every whim, every desire, every wish, and every command.

Emma broke the kiss first that time, feeling so many different things all at once, but most of all she was overwhelmed with the feelings she was having for this perfect, gorgeous stranger she wasn't sure she would ever see after her vacation in Jamaica was over, even despite the fact they lived in the very same city back home.

Regina growled softly, drawing her mind right back to where she'd been before and she surged forward, kissing her with hungry and wanton desire. Thunder crashed louder outside, enough to rattle their bones. Emma used the temporary distraction of the storm to roll them over and she chuckled throatily at the look of surprise on Regina's face when she pulled back from her lips rather reluctantly. The move caused them both to lose the intimate contact, but Regina was quick to tug on the edges of Emma's bikini bottoms in an urgency that had Emma lifting herself up as Regina tugged them down and she practically stood on the bed, her feet braced on either side of Regina's hips, and she kicked them aside before lowering herself back down on top of her.

"Hi," Emma grinned, albeit a little shyly as Regina spread her legs and Emma settled down in between them.

"Hi yourself," Regina chuckled huskily. "You're beautiful."

"You're a goddess."

"I wouldn't go that far, dear."

"You are, you know?" Emma murmured and planted a soft kiss on her kiss-swollen lips. "A fucking goddess. Do you know the first thing I truly noticed once I walked out to the beach when I first got here?"

"Hmm?"

"You."

"Me?" Regina asked, feigning surprise as they began to grind against one another slowly. "And what was I doing that had you so enthralled by me?"

"Regina…maybe we should…save the pillow talk for after?" Emma groaned as she shifted her lower body until she could feel her clit sliding delectably against Regina's. A laugh rippled through Regina's body suddenly and she shook her head as she raised her hands to cup Emma's cheeks. "Fuck."

"I need to know," Regina murmured, her lips brushing against hers lightly. "What are you doing for the next eight days?"

"Hopefully you."

Another laugh rumbled past Regina's lips as she lifted her head to kiss Emma thoroughly. "I certainly would not object to that," she said and she pulled her in for another kiss, sliding her tongue past Emma's lips for a deep, passionate kiss that left Emma's whole body buzzing delightfully.

Regina's short, well-manicured nails dug into her ass as she pulled Emma harder and quicker against her. Emma reached down with her right hand and grasped at the back of Regina's thigh, pulling her harder against her as their lips met again without hesitation in a languid, sloppy kiss.

Emma could feel the deep burn of her orgasm building within her core and she didn't hold back, not as Regina grinded against her, pulling it out of her with every touch and every kiss.

It became somewhat of a power play after they both came the first time, Emma first and Regina so very close with her. Two tops in bed with a hunger to sate and there was zero disappointment as they rolled within the sheets, both eager to gain the upper hand, failing but winning all at once.

Emma relinquished in the fight for the top when Regina began to kiss and lick her way down her body. Emma squirmed beneath her and against the hot, agile tongue that brought forth pleasure Emma had only ever dreamt of feeling before. She was lost to the feel of Regina's lips and tongue upon her, lost in the way she hit every little sensitive spot that sent her reeling towards the edge.

Her back arched off the mattress the moment Regina's tongue laved over her sensitive, throbbing clit, and she grasped at the sheets, her nails digging in hard as Regina continue to lick over her clit relentlessly.

"Regina!" Emma cried out just as another crash of thunder shook through the air. Emma was teetering on the edge and she was desperate to taste the gorgeous brunette that was situated between her legs. "Regina…"

"Yes, darling?" Regina gasped as she leaned back just far enough to glance up at her, a titillating smile adorning her wet, full lips. She licked her again, causing Emma to jerk against the touch of her tongue against her clit.

"Turn around," Emma demanded breathlessly and she was breathlessly afforded with Regina swiftly moving her body until her wet cunt was mere inches away from Emma's face.

Emma felt more than intoxicated at the aroma that emanated off of Regina and she dipped her head forward as she grasped on to Regina's ass and pulled her down against her mouth, first breathing in the scent of her before licking the length of her hairless cunt.

Emma threw her head back hard against the mattress the moment Regina's tongue laved over her clit hungrily. Emma arched up against her hot, wet mouth before she pulled Regina down against her own mouth. Kissing her was delicious, but tasting her was on a whole different level. She could still taste the salty tang of the ocean on her skin, but mixed with the juices that were flowing from her freely, it created that perfect mixture she just couldn't get enough of.

Regina's whole body shuddered and the moan that slipped past her lips and vibrated along Emma's heated flesh pushed her over the edge. Emma's hips shook as her orgasm thundered through her body, but Regina didn't let up as she sucked over her hole, drawing out the shockwaves of pleasure.

She hooked an arm around Regina's thigh and deftly slipped her middle finger inside of her as her lips wrapped over her clit and sucked and teased it with the tip of her tongue. She could feel Regina's fingers languidly stroking over her cunt as she kissed along the inside of her thigh and moaned as Emma slid a second finger inside of her.

"Oh Emma," Regina murmured as she rocked back against Emma's fingers and mouth. Emma didn't let up, feeling her inner walls clenching tighter and tighter with every deep thrust of her fingers.

Regina came mere minutes after Emma's own orgasm finished fluttering throughout her entire body and she grasped on to Regina tightly as she kept her fingers buried to the first knuckle inside of her and pulled her mouth back from her clit, inhaling sharply and deeply as she struggled to catch her breath.

She slid her fingers out slowly and licked Regina's essence from them before licking over her wet pussy. She dipped her tongue inside her hole, tasting her once more before Regina lifted herself off of Emma and turned around slowly. She lay at her side, her fingers stroking over Emma's abdomen around her navel and she had the most brilliant smile curled over her lips.

From the moment their lips met once more, Emma knew that it would be impossible to keep from kissing Regina every chance that she got. She knew she was falling into an old habit, hard and fast, but in that very moment she didn't care. She didn't care because she felt completely sated. She didn't care because of the teasing way Regina nipped at her bottom lip before moving to lay on top of her. She didn't care because this woman seemed to have endless stamina and she certainly would do all she could to keep up.

"Will you have dinner with me tonight?" Regina whispered.

"Yes, if we ever leave this bed."

Regina laughed lowly and Emma bit her bottom lip to stifle the moan that still slipped out at the sound of Regina's laughter rumbling through her. Regina lifted a hand and stroked along Emma's jaw and moved up to push aside the few strands of hair that stuck to her sweaty forehead.

"I think we should shower," Regina said and Emma nodded all too quickly in agreement. "We'll shower and get dressed and head down to the restaurant for an early dinner. Hopefully we'll beat the rush and get a private table to ourselves tonight."

"Okay."

"I also want to go dancing tonight after we have dinner together," Regina continued. "With you as my date."

"Dancing?"

"Hmm."

"Where?"

"I know of a place. It's a nice little bar in a village not too far from here. You'll like it there," she replied with a smile. "Will you come dancing with me tonight, Emma?"

"I would love to, Regina."

Regina kissed her once more before sliding off the bed. She stretched out slowly and Emma turned to rake her eyes over her tanned, naked body. Regina glanced over her shoulder and smirked before making a come-hither motion that had Emma leaping out of bed and following her into the bathroom to shower. She wrapped her arms around Regina from behind as Regina fiddled with the knobs in the shower, adjusting it until the temperature was just right.

Emma's mind was suddenly reeling. What would happen after they were back in Boston? Sure, the city was big, but it wasn't as if they couldn't still continue to see one another. She wasn't sure how Regina felt about it seeing as they still barely knew one another. She did know one thing for sure and that was the fact that she wanted to see where things would go with Regina Mills beyond their vacation in Jamaica.

Emma wasn't about to make the same mistake she'd made with Lily the first time they'd met and had a whirlwind romance that ended when their week long vacation had. No, Emma was _certain_ that this wasn't going to end that way…


	2. Part II

With only a day left of their vacation, barely even that, Emma Swan most definitely wasn't ready to go home. While she had anticipated being alone on her solo trip to Jamaica, Regina Mills had made sure that she was most definitely not alone.

They went dancing almost every night at a small bar in the village that took the taxi driver half an hour to get them to. The music was vibrant, the drinks were strong, and the atmosphere was unlike anything else Emma had ever experienced before in her life. Some nights they ended up in Regina's room, other nights they were in Emma's, but since that second night she was in Jamaica, she hadn't slept alone.

Their days had been spent on the beach and in the water. They talked about almost everything, getting to know one another more and more as the days passed by far too quickly. That morning, being their last morning together, Regina had ordered room service and they had breakfast in Regina's bed without a stitch on. It made for a very interesting experience for both of them when Regina grabbed the little jug of syrup and poured a line down the center of her chest. Emma had all too greedily licked her skin clean and it continued that way until there was no more syrup in the little jug and the trays were all but pushed to the floor as they fucked for hours until the maids knocked on the door, wanting to clean the room for the day.

Emma sighed as she laid on the blanket she and Regina were sharing, watching the gorgeous brunette in her little white bikini walk towards the water. Her skin glistened from the oil and sweat and she was eager for a dip in the water to cool off. Emma had encouraged her to go first and that she'd join her in a few minutes, but really all she wanted to do was watch her and soak in the very image of her in that white bikini that had first drawn Emma's eyes to her on the first day she was there on the little island under the hot Caribbean sun.

Emma reached blindly for the colourful stick neck to her and stuck it upright in the sand, smiling when the bartender came over a few minutes later with her preferred drink of choice, a sunset. She thanked him with a smile and reached for her floppy hat and pulled it on before taking a sip of the cold, alcoholic drink.

Regina's flight to Boston unfortunately was a different one than hers and Emma had made a private phone call to the airport early that morning unknown to Regina and tried to change her flight. The woman she spoke to said it was impossible as the flight was booked solid and there was no way to change her flight even if she splurged a little extra to get a seat in first class. She had tried not to let that bring her down because she wanted to enjoy the time she did have with Regina before they both left.

Emma still had a few hours left until she would have to board the bus that would take a group of them to the airport. She mostly finished her drink before Regina emerged from the water and made her way back over to their blanket. She sat down and ran her fingers through her wet hair before looking over at Emma with a smile dancing over her lips.

"The water is warm today."

"Like it is every day," Emma smiled. "I am going to miss this."

"It's certainly a nice change of pace from home," Regina nodded and she laid back, her eyes sliding shut as she settled on the blanket next to her.

 _I'm going to miss us_ , Emma thought, but knew better than to say it. She didn't want to come across as overly attached already since they'd only known each other for barely ten days.

"What time do you need to check out?"

"At three," Emma replied quietly and Regina turned to her and opened her eyes, frowning slightly. "I know."

"Are you all packed up?"

"Mostly, yeah."

"How about we head up to your room and make sure?" Regina asked with a teasing smile and Emma laughed. "This way too, we can say goodbye privately."

"Yeah."

Regina reached out and traced her fingers along the back of Emma's right hand lightly. "It's not going to be goodbye forever, darling."

"Really?"

"Of course not," Regina said quietly. "After we return home, I would love to continue to see you."

"I'd like that."

"Come," Regina said as she stood up from the blanket and reached for Emma's hand. She pulled Emma up to her feet and from the charged and hungry look in her eyes, Emma knew exactly how they were going to spend the last of her time there in Jamaica once they were back in her room.

It took Emma two tries with her key card to unlock the door to her room since Regina's hands were already roaming over her body and Regina's lips were kissing over her shoulder. The moment the door was unlocked and open, Regina turned her around and crushed their lips together as they backed up hurriedly into the room.

They were naked before they even reached the bed and while the past eight days had been full of heated passion, it felt different that time, different in ways Emma couldn't quite figure out. All she knew was that she was going to hold on to each passing minute and enjoy the last few hours with Regina Mills.

[X]

Emma waited outside the airport for Ruby to pick her up. She had slept most of the flight back from Jamaica, sleep being her only option just to keep her mind off of Regina Mills. There was an ache that settled into her heart, one she had promised herself she'd never go through again, yet it had happened and she'd been powerless in following her heart and Regina Mills into bed, over and over again.

Emma sighed heavily as she played with the handle on her luggage. It was growing late and despite it being a warm night in June, it sent a chill through her body and she already missed the heat she'd spent the last ten days enjoying. Regina's flight wouldn't land for another three hours and she was already contemplating calling Ruby and telling her not to come until later just so she could see Regina again.

"Emma!" Ruby called out as she pulled the car up next to her and she hopped out, rushing up to her and threw her arms around her excitedly. "Welcome home!"

"Thanks," Emma said with a forced smile and Ruby grabbed her luggage and tossed it in the trunk of her red Camaro. "Do you think we could stop somewhere and get something to eat?"

"What are you feeling like?"

"A nice and big, greasy burger."

"I know just the place," Ruby laughed and they got in the car. She cranked the volume on the radio as she navigated her way out of the airport and headed in the direction of their apartment. She made a quick detour to her grandmother's diner and parked out back instead of out on the street.

"I can't tell you how much I've missed the comforts of home," Emma said as they entered the diner through the back door. "It was beautiful down there, hot, but there's just nothing like Granny's burgers and fries."

"Maybe she oughta set up shop down in Jamaica," Ruby chuckled and they seated themselves in their usual booth. "God, look at you," Ruby sighed dramatically. "You're so tan!"

"Thanks."

"And you look happy," Ruby continued and she placed a hand on Emma's before she opened her eyes wide in shock. "No!"

"What?"

"Tell me you did not hook up with that woman you told me about!" Ruby exclaimed, albeit a little too loudly as a few other patrons turned to look at them. Emma flushed and lowered her eyes to her hands on the table. "Oh my god, Emma!"

"What?"

"You totally did, didn't you?"

"I didn't mean to!" Emma groaned and she buried her flushed face into her hands for a moment. "I swear, Ruby, I didn't mean to, but it just sort of happened."

"Who made the first move?" Ruby asked quietly as she leaned forward. "Did she?"

"Yes."

"Tell me _everything_ ," Ruby demanded just as Granny sauntered over to the table with two large glasses of Coke. "Gran, can we get our usual?"

"Of course," Granny nodded and she turned to Emma with a smile. "Welcome back, Emma."

"Thank you, Granny," she smiled up at the woman. "I've got you some gifts. I'll be sure to bring them around tomorrow after I've unpacked."

"Did you get me anything?" Ruby asked once Granny had walked away to take an order from the next table over. "Ems?"

"Of course I did!" Emma laughed and shook her head. "Rubes, I know you want to know everything that happened and I promise I'll tell you, but not right now."

"Did you at least get her number?"

Emma rolled her eyes incredulously. "Of course I did," she muttered under her breath. "How long do you think I should wait before I call her?"

"When does she get back?"

"In a couple of hours. She was on a later flight. I—I tried to change mine, but her flight was full coming back and—"

"Oh Emma," Ruby frowned as she reached out for her hands and squeezed tightly. "Please tell me you did not go and fall in love with this woman."

"Ruby, if you knew her, you'd see how impossible it'd be to _not_ fall in love with her," Emma sighed and she shook her head. "What if it's different here? What if we start dating and it's just not the same? What if she decides that she doesn't want to see me again?"

"Em—"

"I did it again, didn't I? I set myself up for inevitable heartbreak."

"I don't know," Ruby said with a small shrug of her shoulders. "I truly hope not. Look, I'm happy you had a good time there with this woman, but I don't know if I can handle seeing you go through what you did with Lily the first time."

"She's nothing like Lily."

"Except for the fact that she's a brunette," Ruby teased. "So, tell me more about your trip. I want to know everything! Did you just spend the whole time on the beach and in _her_ bed, or did you get to explore beyond her naked body?"

Emma reached across the table and playfully punched Ruby on her arm. "We went on an excursion the second day I was there. She had an extra ticket. We went zip-lining—"

" _You_ went zip-lining?"

"Shut up, yes I did. She pushed me."

"What?" Ruby laughed as she fell back against the bench seat. "She pushed you?"

"It was fun," Emma chuckled and shook her head. "We were supposed to go to these waterfalls after, but a storm rolled in and we were taken back to the hotel instead. Regina, she invited me up to her room and well, that's when it happened. The first time, anyway."

"And?"

"And I'm not telling you _everything_ , Rubes, but I will tell you that it was amazing. She's incredible. She—"

"She topped you, didn't she?"

Emma felt her cheeks burn hotter at the question and Ruby just laughed harder knowing the answer without it having to be said. By the time Granny returned with their food, Ruby was relentless in asking questions about Regina and made it impossible for Emma to think about anything else other than her.

By the time they got home, Emma was exhausted and all she wanted to do was change into a pair of comfortable pajamas and crawl into the comfort of her own bed. Ruby, however, had other ideas and persuaded her to share a bottle of wine on their balcony with her before they went to bed. Emma nursed her glass while Ruby pounded hers back and started asking about Regina again. Emma wasn't in the mood and she made it clear she was done talking about Regina for the time being.

It was well past midnight by the time Emma crawled into bed. She struggled with the decision of whether or not to send Regina a text, but in the end she decided against it and would just call her in the morning to see how her flight home had been and possibly make plans to meet up within the next couple of days. All Emma knew was she couldn't wait to see her again and she only hoped that she wouldn't have to wait much longer than a few days at most.

[X]

Ruby found her pacing the kitchen the next evening, pausing to check her cell she had charging on the kitchen counter every couple of steps. She had called Regina that morning and left her a message. Regina had yet to call her back and Emma was struggling not to call her again.

"She's just busy," Emma muttered as Ruby sat at the stool by the small breakfast bar and cracked open a can of beer for herself. "She's just busy, that's all it is, right?"

"She's a business woman, works for a finance company," Ruby replied and she frowned slightly at Emma. "I'm sure she's busy with work, Ems. She'll call."

"You're right. She's just busy with work. She'll call later."

"So, you have an interview tomorrow, don't you?"

"I do."

"For that indie newspaper?" Ruby asked and Emma nodded. "You'll get the job. I know you will."

"Thanks, Ruby, but it's not what I'm aiming for. The River isn't exactly the Boston Herald."

"No," Ruby said with a shake of her head. "But it's your foot in the door and it'll get you the experience you need."

Emma knew what Ruby was doing and she appreciated her for trying to take her mind off of Regina Mills. Emma began pacing once more and reached for her phone, checking to see if maybe she'd missed the call even though she had the volume right up. With a frown, she tossed her phone back down on the counter.

"Did you put the pictures on your laptop yet?" Ruby asked and Emma nodded. While there hadn't been too many, there were enough and there were even a few shots of Regina in her white bikini Emma had taken without her knowing.

They moved from the kitchen and into the living room. They sat next to each other on the old ratty couch and Emma grabbed her laptop off the coffee table. After she went through a dozen pictures, she clicked on one of Regina and Ruby just draped an arm over her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"She's beautiful, Ems."

"I know."

"Is she Latina? She looks like she's Latina."

"On her father's side," Emma replied, recalling the conversation she and Regina had about their families—and Emma's lack of one. "She doesn't know I took that picture," she said quietly and she clicked on the next one. "Or this one either."

"You're sure she's not some kind of a model or something?" Ruby asked and Emma rolled her eyes. "Damn, Ems, you were right, she is _nothing_ like Lily at all. You really spent ten days with her?"

"Yes, Ruby."

"Damn!"

"She's totally out of my league, isn't she?"

"No," Ruby said with a shake of her head. "She's not. Come on let's go out for dinner. We can go see Granny and you can give her the gifts you bought her. She called me earlier asking me to bring you around. I think she just wants those shot glasses you picked up for her so she can proudly display them behind the counter."

"What if—"

"If she calls, I won't be offended if you go off to talk to her privately. Now come on, Ems! I don't know about you, but I'm _starving_."

Emma grabbed her phone and unplugged it from the charger before hesitatingly grabbing the bag with Granny's gifts she'd brought back from her trip and followed Ruby out of their apartment. They walked to the diner and sat in their usual booth and for the next hour, Emma constantly checked her phone and annoyed Ruby to no end by zoning out halfway through her story about the guy she'd met while she'd been in Jamaica.

Emma barely touched her food either, much to Granny's dismay, but was quickly forgiven when she gave Granny her gifts. Sure enough, as soon as the six shot glasses were unwrapped, Granny placed them on the trinket shelf behind the counter and beamed as she gave her a thumbs up. Emma and Ruby just laughed and after Emma got a box to put her barely touched food in to take home with her, her cell beeped once and she nearly dropped it pulling it free from her pocket.

 ** _I am so sorry I haven't had a chance to call you back. I've been busy with work since returning home. I will call when I get the chance._**

It was a text from Regina and while it was short and straight to the point, it was still something. It wasn't a phone call as she had hoped, but it was _something_ and a text was better than nothing at all.

[X]

For the next two days, even with Emma now busy herself with her new job as junior editor at The River, she was distracted constantly, her phone barely leaving her side as she checked it constantly to see if Regina had texted or called her. There had been nothing since the text two nights ago and Emma was starting to worry that maybe Regina really did change her mind about wanting to continue seeing her once they were back in Boston.

Ruby had told her not to call her again or even text her. The ball was in Regina's court now and Emma had to be patient and wait for her to make the next move. It felt like torture waiting around to hear from her and as the days went on and Friday quickly approached, Emma caved and ignored Ruby's advice and sent Regina a text as she walked home from The River's office building.

 ** _Hi, I know you're probably busy with work, but I was wondering if you would like to have dinner this weekend with me?_**

Emma sent it and clutched on to her phone as she walked the three blocks back to her and Ruby's apartment. She felt like a knot had formed in her stomach and moved up to lodge itself in her throat when she hadn't heard anything back from Regina by the time she let herself in the empty apartment.

Emma paced in the kitchen for a solid hour before Ruby got home, armed with two bottles of wine and take-out from the Chinese food place down the street. It wasn't until she and Ruby had finished the take-out and a whole bottle of wine before her phone beeped once.

 ** _I'm unfortunately headed out of town on business this weekend. I'm sorry._**

"She totally blew you off, didn't she?" Ruby asked as they sat on the balcony together. "Oh Ems, I'm sorry."

"It's happening again, isn't it?" Emma asked, her voice wavering as she tried to fight back her tears. "I never should've let myself fall in love with her. I'm probably just that vacation lover and now that we're back in Boston that's all I'll ever be. She doesn't want to talk to me. She doesn't want to see me."

"Maybe she really is busy with work, Em, and you're reading way to far into this whole avoidance thing. It's only been a week, barely even that."

"How could I be so stupid, Ruby?"

"You're not stupid," Ruby said as she reached out for her hand. "You fell in love with a gorgeous woman even after you promised you wouldn't. Don't," Ruby said as she held up her hand to stop Emma from trying to speak. "It's not a promise you meant to break. Love happens, Em."

"What if she doesn't feel the same way?"

"Then you move on. You move on because you are strong and someone out there deserves to know what it's like to have someone like you as theirs."

"You know it's not that easy. After Lily—"

"Lily was a mistake. You even said so after you caught her cheating on you with that tramp. Regina—Regina isn't like her," Ruby said and she sighed as she reached for the second bottle and opened it. "Maybe you need to stop thinking about Regina so much right now? It's pulling you apart inside, Ems, and I can't stand seeing you put yourself through this again."

"Tell me how to stop thinking about her, Ruby, because every time I try to I can't."

"Tell you what, we finish this bottle off and we'll go dancing, okay?"

"I don't know if I—"

"We'll go dancing, gets some gullible college boys to buy us a few drinks and I promise you that once the night is through that you won't be thinking about her at all."

It was just too bad Ruby hadn't been right because by the time she made it back to her bed just shy of four in the morning, Regina was all she could think about and Regina was all she ended up dreaming about once she had drunkenly cried herself to sleep.

[X]

Two weeks. Two weeks had passed since she had last heard from Regina, the text she'd sent about having to go out of town for business was the last she'd heard from her. Emma submerged herself in her new job, taking on extra hours just so she wouldn't have to return home to an empty apartment while Ruby was still at work herself. It had only been a handful of days since she had a complete emotional breakdown and Ruby had been the one that picked up the pieces, held her for hours, and talked to her.

"Miss Swan?" The senior editor said as he rapped his knuckles on the edge of her desk. "It's late. It's Friday. Go home."

"Mr. Andrews—"

"We'll worry about that piece on Monday, all right? Go home and enjoy your weekend, all right?" He said with a pointed look that warned her not to test him. While Norman Andrews was a nice enough guy, he was also very demanding.

"All right. Have a good weekend, Mr. Andrews."

"You as well," he smiled. "Oh and Miss Swan?" He said as she gathered her things up into her bag. "I have a new assignment for you I'd like for you to consider. I need a profile piece written up on some of the young and upcoming businesswomen in and around Boston. I have a list of names, but we only want to cover one each week."

"But I'm not—"

"A writer? Sure you are, I've seen your profile and read a few of the pieces you wrote while you were a junior. Just take the weekend and think about it, and let me know on Monday what your decision is, all right?"

"Okay."

Emma hurriedly put her laptop into her bag and slung the strap over her shoulder as she made her way through the cramped office to the stairs. The streets were busy with people heading home for the day and eager to start their weekend. All Emma wanted to do was spend the weekend in her pajamas since Ruby had made plans with a few work friends to head up the coast to spend the weekend in Portland, Maine. Emma had declined the invitation to tag along and she had already stocked the fridge with beer and wine and the TiVo was full of shows she needed to catch up on anyway.

Emma entered the empty apartment and left her bag and her phone beside the ratty old couch. She stripped out of her work clothes on the way to the bathroom and ran the water in the claw foot tub for a nice, hot bubble bath she'd been looking forward to all afternoon.

She grabbed her thin grey robe and wrapped it around her while the tub filled. She padded her way into the kitchen and grabbed a glass and a bottle of merlot out of the fridge before returning to the bathroom. She placed the bottle and the glass on the floor next to the tub and pulled her hair up into a loose bun on the top of her head before she slipped out of her robe and shut off the tap. Just as she settled into the tub after she poured herself a hefty helping of wine, she heard her ring tone playing.

 _It's only Ruby,_ she thought as she sipped her wine and leaned her head back against the edge of the tub and closed her eyes. It was a statement she replayed twice in the time she soaked in the bath each time her phone rang. When the water grew cold, she drained the tub and rinsed herself off, topping up her glass with the last of the wine before she wrapped her robe around her and made her way to her bedroom on slightly unsteady feet.

She pulled on a pair of red panties and a white tank, the apartment warm despite the AC in the window chugging at full blast. It had been hot all week and it was going to continue to be hot throughout the weekend and while Emma didn't mind the heat, it was serving to remind her far too much of her ten days in Jamaica that came to an end nearly three weeks ago.

Emma let down her hair and took her glass of wine with her, not bothering to put on any shorts as she walked out of her room. She downed her glass of wine as she entered the kitchen and reached for another bottle, choosing a dry white instead of another bottle of merlot.

She didn't bother to check her phone as she settled on the ratty old couch and reached for the TV remote. She flipped idly through the channels while sipping her wine slowly and when her phone beeped, she threw the remote down and fished it out of her bag.

Her mouth went dry when she saw that the three missed calls had not been from Ruby and neither was the text that had just been sent. Regina had been calling her, but hadn't left a message on her voice mail. Emma was tempted to open the text, but she decided against it, tossing her phone on the couch beside her before turning off the television and headed out onto the balcony.

It had been two weeks since she'd heard from Regina. _Two freaking weeks_. Why would she be calling now after nothing for the last two weeks? As much as Emma wanted to know what the text from her said, she knew it was better not to give in so easily despite the fact that her heart just _ached_ for Regina Mills. Of course Emma could understand that Regina had a job to do and that it kept her busy, busy enough to go two weeks without contacting her, but that still wasn't any excuse and just thinking about it had Emma feeling extremely bitter.

By the time Emma forced herself to go back inside, she checked her phone to find two more texts and a voice mail from her. Emma scoffed and instead of reading the texts, she turned her phone off, dumped what was left in her glass of wine down the sink and headed to bed.

She would not just give in to Regina, not after two weeks and no matter what lame excuse she had decided on, it didn't matter. Emma was done and she wanted to focus on her new job, get her feet wet in the editing world, and move up the career ladder one step at a time, just as she had previously planned.

By the time Monday morning rolled around and Emma finally turned her phone back on, she was relieved and saddened to find there were no more missed calls or texts from Regina Mills. She pushed her from her mind as far as she could, dressed in her office gear—a white blouse she rolled up to the sleeves and a pair of freshly ironed slacks and heels she'd borrowed from Ruby's closet.

She had made her decision and after informing the senior editor that she was going to take on the story he wanted her to write, he gave her an address along with a date and time that he'd already set up for an interview. It was for the following day, but it hadn't said whom she'd be interviewing. She spent the last half of her day in the office reviewing questions with the senior editor for the interview the next morning.

Emma showed up at the large building the next morning with ten minutes to spare before the interview was scheduled to start. She dressed in a similar outfit from the day before only she had taken her time that morning doing her hair, pinning it back on the right side and her curls fabulously perfect. She even put on makeup and she never wore makeup, yet Ruby had been the one that convinced her she'd need to look a little more professional since it wasn't just another day in the office.

"May I help you?" The woman at the front desk asked as Emma approached.

"Yes, my name is Emma Swan. I'm the Junior Editor at The River newspaper. I have an appointment for nine-thirty this morning."

"Oh, of course," the receptionist said with a smile, typing something into her computer before turning to look up at her. "Ms. Mills' office is on the eleventh floor. Take a right and speak with her assistant. She'll be waiting for you just outside Ms. Mills' office."

"Th—thank you," Emma stammered as her mouth suddenly felt dry and her knees felt weak. Surely it was just a coincidence. How many Ms. Mills' could there be working in Boston alone? Emma made her way over to the elevator and pulled out her phone, calling Ruby immediately. "Rubes, it's _her_!"

"Who?" Ruby asked quietly. "Ems, you know I'm at work, right?"

"I think it's her anyway," Emma replied quickly and stepped into the elevator and hit the number eleven button. "The interview I'm doing this morning? I'm at a financial institute and when I checked in, the receptionist said Ms. Mills. I think it's her, Ruby! What the hell do I do now?"

"First off, you need to calm down. Maybe it's not her," Ruby replied calmly. "Secondly, you are there to do your job. It's not a social call, Emma."

"I know that!"

"And thirdly, remain professional at all times. Don't give in to personal topics such as the fact that she had totally fucking avoided you for two weeks!"

"Ruby, I don't think I can do this."

"Ems, do you honestly have a choice? You can't back out on this now."

Emma groaned quietly just as the elevator approached the eleventh floor. "I know. I'll call you later?"

"Yeah. Good luck."

"Thanks."

Emma tucked her phone back in her pocket and stepped off the elevator, immediately finding herself greeted by a blonde-haired woman who had a smile curled over her lips and a hand extended as she introduced.

"Kathryn Midas, Regina Mills' assistant," she said as Emma took her hand and felt as if the colour had dropped from her face completely. "Emma Swan, I assume?"

"Y—yes," Emma stammered.

"Wonderful. This way please. Regina is expecting you. I'm glad you're on time for your appointment. She absolutely loathes it when people show up late and waste her time. She's a very, very busy woman."

"I can imagine."

Kathryn led her down a maze of hallways before coming to a stop in front of a large wooden door that was closed. She raised her hand, knocked three times before she opened the door and motioned for Emma to enter.

"Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea, water?"

"Water would be great, thank you," Emma replied before she took a deep breath and turned to face the brunette who was seated behind a large mahogany desk. The first thing Emma noticed was the frown etched on her face. Regina was definitely _not_ happy at all. "Hi," Emma said quietly, her voice barely coming out in an audible squeak.

"Take a seat, Miss Swan. We only have forty-five minutes and I have a rather extremely busy day ahead of me."

"Just like all the other days you've been busy?" Emma asked and she blushed, not having meant for those words to slip out like that and she took a seat in the single chair that had been placed in front of the mahogany desk. "Regina, I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"Let's get on with this, shall we?" Regina asked and cleared her throat as she reached for the black-rimmed glasses in front of her and slipped them on. "I trust you have prepared a list of questions for this interview, Miss Swan?" Upon Emma's nod, she fumbled inside her bag for the paper and slid it across her desk until Regina snatched it from her.

Emma pulled out her laptop and settled it on her lap, waiting for it to come out of sleep mode while Regina scanned over the questions. Emma idly chewed at her thumbnail while she tried not to seem obvious that she was watching Regina. All she had to do was close her eyes and she could just imagine her as the woman in the white bikini that she'd met on the beach in Jamaica. Regina's assistant cleared her throat as she placed a bottle of water on the desk in front of Emma and a hot mug of coffee in front of Regina.

"That'll be all, Miss Midas," Regina said as she dismissed her. "Please close the door on the way out and hold my calls until this interview is over, thank you."

Kathryn smiled and turned on her heels, exiting quickly to allow them to get to the interview. Emma reached for the water, her laptop nearly sliding off her lap in the process, but she recovered effortlessly without Regina noticing. Mostly.

The next half an hour was spent with Regina answering the relatively boring questions she and the senior editor had prepared and she typed away quickly on her laptop, trying to keep up whenever Regina spoke too fast and forgot to pause so she could get all the answers. Emma cursed silently at herself for not bringing a recorder as it would've been a lot easier and would have afforded her a chance to listen to Regina's voice later on, over and over again.

When the last question was answered, Regina sat back in her chair and sipped her coffee before removing her black-rimmed glasses. Her eyes were smouldering as she stared at Emma and Emma tried not to be pulled into Regina's intense gaze.

"Thank you for your time, Ms. Mills," Emma said as she slipped her laptop into her bag and rose from her chair. "Would you like a copy of the article before it goes to print?"

"That would be lovely," Regina replied and she rose from her chair, almost rushing to beat Emma before she got to the door. "Emma, I—"

"No," Emma said with a shake of her head. "I'm here because I am doing my job. I am not here to see you."

"Did you get my messages?"

"Have a good day, Regina," Emma said as she reached for the handle on the heavy wooden door. "I'll fax over a copy of the article to your assistant. I'll get the information from her on my out."

Emma couldn't even look back at Regina as she walked out of her office. She had to force herself to keep walking forward and she approached Kathryn's desk, feeling faint. After getting the fax number from her, Kathryn took her to the elevators through the maze of hallways, both of them silent as they walked down the carpeted hallway.

"Emma, I don't mean to overstep any boundaries, but Regina has been extremely busy since returning from her vacation. She tried to find time to call and when she was out of meetings, it was late and she—"

"I don't care," Emma said sullenly. "Besides, how do you know—"

"Outside of work, Regina is my best friend. She told me all about you, Emma. The only reason she agreed to this interview for The River is because she found out that you were the one that would be conducting it."

"I see," Emma replied as she jabbed the button beside the elevator. "She was really _that_ busy for two weeks?"

"Yes," Kathryn replied with a small nod. "I kept trying to clear away some time, but with the frequent meetings with investors and the trip to New York City last week, she hasn't had a moment to spare. She—"

"I understand."

"Emma, she tried."

Emma clenched her jaw as she stared at Regina's blonde-haired assistant and best friend. "She didn't try hard enough," she said as the elevator doors opened and she stepped inside. "When the article is written, I'll fax over a copy. Have a wonderful day, Kathryn."

Emma held her stoic expression until the doors slid shut. She slumped up against the wall and willed the tears that suddenly sprang to her eyes not to fall. By the time the elevator reached the lobby, she had mostly composed herself and she strolled out of the building with long strides, her borrowed heels clacking loudly along the marble floor.

It wasn't until she'd walked two blocks before she found herself on a bench by a bus stop and unable to stop the tears as they slipped free. She called Ruby an hour later from the bathroom inside The River's office building and the tears just wouldn't stop as she told Ruby what had happened during the interview and afterwards. After Ruby managed to calm her down a little bit, they made plans to meet for lunch at Granny's at one.

Emma didn't want to go for lunch, she didn't want to go back and sit at her desk and write the article on Regina. She just wanted to go home and curl up in her bed and cry, because crying was always the way she nursed a broken heart…

[X]

It took her two days to write the article and once her senior editor approved, she faxed over a copy to Regina's assistant and called it an early day. The article had been difficult to write because of her feeling for Regina Mills, but she had trudged through it, determined to prove her worth out there in the real world and not just for another grade.

She hadn't heard from Regina at all, but it didn't surprise her in the least. The way she had acted after the interview, she'd be more surprised if she ever heard from Regina again. She had misread the entire situation and that's what had made her so upset after the interview. Of course Regina was a busy woman, she was at the start of her career and it was well on the path to making her one of the most successful women under thirty in Boston. Of course Regina was focused on her career, even if it had gotten to the point of not trying to get in touch with the woman she'd fallen into a whirlwind romance with while on vacation—a well deserved one at that from with how busy she always was.

Emma had ruined something because she was impatient and lonely. How stupid was she to think, to expect even, for things to pick right up where they'd left off back in Jamaica? She felt like a complete and utter idiot for ruining what felt like her last chance with Regina Mills.

Emma had changed the moment she had gotten home, into her favourite red panties and her softest white tank top. Ruby wouldn't be home until much later as she had a mystery date she was keeping tight-lipped about. Emma grabbed a cold beer from the fridge and headed out onto the balcony, bringing her phone with her so she could tease Ruby endlessly about her mystery date until she caved and at least gave her one little detail.

Halfway through writing a text to Ruby, a text from Regina came through and she hesitated for a moment before tapping the screen to open it.

 ** _The article was lovely, Emma. Thank you for writing such kind words. Your writing is beautiful, but then again I had no doubts about you when you spoke of your passion for writing during the many hours we spent together in Jamaica. I would love to see you soon, perhaps tonight if you aren't busy? Let me know, please. There are a few things I'd like to clear up between us and you hardly gave me the chance to the other day._**

Emma gritted her jaw tightly, reading over the long text twice before returning to Ruby's text and she finished typing it off and sent it. She placed her phone on the patio table they had out on the small balcony and lifted her feet to the railing as she sipped her cold beer.

Emma wasn't sure what to say to Regina. She wanted to see her again, she truly did, but at that point she felt like she hardly deserved another chance with her. She nearly jumped when her phone beeped and she picked it up after a minute, her heart racing when she saw that Regina had text her again.

 ** _I understand you may be upset with me. I would like the chance to explain._**

Emma frowned and she began typing quickly. She wasn't in the right frame of mind to deal with Regina, not after everything she'd gone through thinking that Regina had simply changed her mind and wanted nothing to do with her.

 ** _You were busy, I understand. There is nothing to explain. I'm glad you liked the article. I can send you a copy over once it goes to print next Monday._**

She hit send before heading back inside to get herself another beer from the fridge. She barely had the bottle in her hand when her phone began to ring and Regina's name flashed across the screen. With a slight wince, she let it ring six times before she answered.

"Hi."

"Hi," Regina said quietly. "I do need to explain, Emma."

"No, you don't."

"I want to," she replied quickly. "Can you please let me explain?"

"Fine," Emma sighed as she leaned up against the counter and twisted off the cap of her beer, tossing it noisily onto the counter behind her. "I'm listening."

"My firm has been scrambling to take on a few very important accounts and the task of landing these accounts had been left up to me. I had no idea what kind of a workload I'd be returning to and the president of the firm has been riding my ass since the day after I returned to Boston to nail the accounts. I thought it would only take a few days at most, but then I was sent to New York City several times over the last couple of weeks. Not even while I travelled did I have a moment to call you. I was on the phone constantly, but Emma, I need you to understand that I have not stopped thinking about you since you left the hotel that afternoon."

Emma smiled a little hearing Regina's words. "You haven't?"

"No, Emma," Regina said softly. "I want to see you. I need to see you."

"Regina—"

"Please, Emma, I know how this might've seemed to you, that perhaps I didn't want to continue to pursue what started down in Jamaica, but that is not true."

"It's not?"

"No," Regina replied and she laughed a little. "Emma, I'm sure you're fairly aware by now that I am not a woman who simply goes on vacations and spends the entire time being rather intimate with a perfect stranger."

"I wish I could say the same thing."

"Emma," Regina continued and Emma could hear her exhale shakily. "I would like to see you tonight, please. If you are unwilling to meet me somewhere, I can come to you."

"Two weeks, Regina."

"I am so sorry, darling—"

"Two weeks," she murmured into the phone and felt the tears welling up in her eyes in spite of her weak efforts to keep her emotions in check. "You couldn't even text me? I wouldn't have cared if it you texted me or called me in the middle of the night, Regina. I thought—I thought you had changed your mind, that you didn't want—"

"I do, I do want you," Regina whispered softly. "Hadn't I made myself quite clear during those ten days we spent together?"

"I—"

"Emma, I was falling in love with you."

Emma's heart quite literally stopped for a moment before she shakily brought her bottle of beer up to her lips and took a sip. A sudden knock on the door made her jump and she heard Regina laugh quietly, only she didn't hear it just over the phone, she heard it coming from the door.

"Regina?"

"Emma, please open the door."

"How did you—"

"I have my ways, darling," Regina replied and Emma could almost see the smile that without a doubt had just curled over her lips in that moment. "Please, open the door. I need to see you."

"I'm not wearing any pants," Emma murmured and she heard Regina laugh again as she pulled her phone away from her ear and quickly made her way to the door. She unlocked it and pulled it open after she took a few deep breaths.

"Hello, Emma," Regina purred as she leaned up against the door frame and she was wearing a black trench coat despite the sun and the heat outside. "I have a slight confession to make as well."

"Oh yeah?"

Regina stepped forward with a salacious grin curling over her lips. "I'm not wearing any pants either."

"Regina…"

"I know I have no excuses," Regina said as she reached for the belt that cinched over her hips and pulled it free from the bow it was tied in. "I know being busy is no excuse, Emma, and I am truly sorry. If you'll let me, I want to make it up to you."

"Okay," Emma said as she licked over her dry lips and shut the door quickly, nearly slamming it shut as Regina unbuttoned her trench coat slowly. "H—how are you planning on doing that?"

"I may have been a bit presumptuous before I came over here, but, I do happen to know how much you loved to stare at me while we were out on the beach and I made a quick detour home to change into this," Regina said with a husky burr to her voice as she teasingly pulled open her trench coat to reveal the little white bikini she wore underneath.

"Fuck…"

"Was I a bit too presumptuous, Emma?"

"I—I—no," Emma stammered as Regina shrugged the coat off her shoulders and let it drop to the floor. "Not at all."

"Good," Regina smiled as she reached out for her, grasping her by the front of her tank top and pulling her in. "I have missed you. So very much."

Regina crushed their lips together and Emma was absolutely powerless to stop her. Not that she wanted to, not really. She sank into the kiss, into Regina, and in that moment it felt as if they hadn't spent nearly three weeks apart. Regina's hands swept down her back and grasped at her ass, eliciting a pleasurable squeal of delight past her lips as they parted from the kiss.

"Regina," Emma started as Regina's fingers stroked along the edge of her red panties, teasing her fingertips and nails over her flesh. "I just—is it always going to be like this?"

"Like what?"

"You'll be so busy I won't see you for weeks?" Emma asked in a whisper, afraid already of not only what the answer would be but also afraid of sounding too clingy for the powerful, gorgeous woman in her arms. "I mean, I can go a few days without seeing you, but three weeks?"

Emma bit her bottom lip as Regina just simply stared at her for the longest moment. Regina just leaned in and kissed her, over and over again until she began to respond and their feet started moving as Emma blindly led Regina through the living room and towards her bedroom.

"Emma," Regina whispered as she stopped her just as she passed the threshold into her bedroom. "I cannot promise you much," she continued. "But I can promise you that it will most definitely never again be like it has been for the last three weeks. Work got in the way, but it won't always. I must confess something else as well."

Emma had her arms loosely draped over Regina's shoulders and she just nodded and stared deeply into her eyes, waiting for her to continue. A part of her just wanted to continue, to skip talking all together, but another part of her needed to hear everything Regina was willing to tell her.

"The last few days we were together, I started to grow a little afraid. No," Regina said with a sharp shake of her head. "I _was_ afraid because I fell for you so quickly and that has never happened to me before. I was afraid if we picked up right where we left off just mere days after returning home, that maybe things would have fizzled out far too quickly between us. I was so wrong in making that assumption, Emma, I realize that now, and I honestly didn't realize that until you came to my office to do the interview for your newspaper and saw the way you looked at me and heard the way you spoke to me."

Regina's hands moved up to her hips and her right hand trailed up over her back, over her shoulder and to her face where she cupped her cheek gently. In the short time they'd spent together and all the intimate moments that they'd shared during their vacation in Jamaica, Emma had never seen Regina's emotions on such full display as she had in that very moment.

"Emma, I know I've already apologized for being such a cold-hearted bitch the very first moment we met. I regret that every single moment that has passed since then despite you so easily forgiving me for that and giving me a second chance. I am asking you now for another chance," Regina whispered and she shuddered as she inhaled sharply, her thumb gently tracing over her cheek as she shook her head and fought back her tears that built up in her eyes. "I am asking you for a third chance. I want you in my life, Emma, and I know I could've tried harder, but I—"

"Okay," Emma murmured softly as she moved until their lips were just a hairsbreadth apart. "Third time's the charm?"

"Emma—"

"Regina, it broke my fucking heart when I didn't hear from you for weeks," Emma said and she leaned back so she could fully look into Regina's watery eyes. "I thought it was it, that we were over before we truly had a chance to start. I thought maybe I was fooling myself for feeling the way I do about you just because of the amazing week we had together down in Jamaica. Regina, nobody has ever made me feel this way about you, not even _her_. When you suddenly just disappeared, it broke my fucking heart and I was trying to move on, I truly was. I was doing all right too, you know, until the other day when I walked into your office building and realized that I was interviewing _you_."

"Emma, I never meant to hurt you."

"Can I just—Regina, can I just talk for a minute here, please?"

"Okay, darling."

"I couldn't stop thinking about you either, no matter how hard I tried. I most definitely couldn't stop thinking about you wearing this either," she said with a throaty chuckle as she stepped back a little to sweep her eyes down Regina's bikini-clad body. "I didn't think I'd find anything down in Jamaica, other than too much sun and probably too much alcohol by the pool and on the beach."

"Darling, if it weren't for me, you most definitely would've gotten too much sun."

Emma couldn't help but laugh and she nuzzled her nose against Regina's, both of them swaying in one another's arms as the gravity of the moment weighed down on them heavily.

"You were a surprise and I—I wanted you from the moment I set my eyes on you for the very first time. I wanted you even though you were a complete bitch the first time we spoke and I wanted you when we bumped into each other at the bar. I think though, I realized for sure, was when we were having dinner that first night. I saw you looking at me too."

"You were stunning that night," Regina smiled. "Absolutely stunning."

"And here I thought you just wanted me because I'm hot."

"You are," she chuckled and with a quick shake of her head and a firm kiss to her lips, she continued. "But you are so much more than that, my love. The more we talked, the more you made me laugh, the more I saw this beautiful, genuine person in you and you became someone that seemed to just understand me without truly knowing me. I think that was a part of the reason why I withdrew once I returned home. I was afraid if you knew how much I worked, how much my work took of my time, that you would push me away, that you wouldn't want this, that you wouldn't want me."

"The first time," Emma said as she slowly backed her way up towards the bed and stopped when the backs of her legs hit the footboard. "You asked me if I wanted this, if I wanted you. I meant it then, Regina, and if you were to ask me again, my answer will remain the same even though you—"

"Broke your fucking heart because I reverted into being a goddamn coward," she finished with a snarky smile and Emma couldn't help but laugh. "I don't deserve you, Emma."

"I feel the exact same way."

"A pair we make, hmm?" Regina chuckled quietly. "What I am asking you, Emma, is for another chance. Can I have another chance with you?"

"Do you think I would've opened the door if my answer was no, Regina?"

"Maybe you would've put some pants on first if your answer was no," Regina chuckled dryly and Emma resisted the urge to reach down and slap her ass for that comment alone. Instead she reached up and slid a hand behind Regina's neck and pulled her in for a kiss, one that started of slow and quickly fuelled into wildly heated passion in a matter of seconds.

Emma's hands moved from Regina's shoulders to where her white bikini top tied at the back. She didn't hesitate as she had the very first time and she pulled it free from the bow and knot it was neatly tied into. She kissed her deeper as she let the top fall haphazardly to the floor and they barely broke apart even as Regina desperately tried to remove Emma's tank top. Emma spun Regina around, grasping a hold of her as they fell back onto the bed together and despite the impact being rather rough, neither let up, both kissing just as hungrily as before and unable to quite get enough.

Regina's bikini bottoms were the first to go and in their fight for control, Regina practically ripped the red panties off of Emma and wrapped her strong thighs around Emma's hips, pulling their bodies flush together as they never once parted from their heavily passionate kiss.

Their hands suddenly seemed to be everywhere at once, but Emma wasn't about to let Regina top her, not after failing to relinquish control over her for the time they'd been together in Jamaica.

"Emma…" Regina gasped as Emma suddenly grasped a hold of both of her wrists and pinned them against the mattress just above her head. "Emma, I need to touch you."

"And I need to _fuck you_ ," Emma growled hotly into her ear and she was rewarded by the most delicious sounding moan slipping past Regina's lips.

"Please."

"Do you remember that night," Emma whispered into her ear, rolling her hips down and grinding her cunt hard against Regina's, eliciting yet another delicious sounding moan past her lips. "Where I asked you if you'd ever let me fuck you with a strap-on?"

"Yes."

"I have something better," Emma murmured. "Can I?"

"Yes," Regina gasped. "Please."

Emma just stared down at her, both of them breathing heavily as she loosened her grip on Regina's wrists. Emma's heart was racing as she stared down into Regina's eyes. A part of her could hardly believe it was happening and that she was there, right then and there and in that moment. Emma traced her fingertips over Regina's lips, smiling down at her before she reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers gently.

"Have you ever—"

"Never," Emma cut her off swiftly. "You'd be the first."

"Not even with _her_?"

"You trying to ruin the mood here, babe?"

"Don't ever call me that."

Emma laughed dryly and kissed her hard. "Sorry, _babe_ , I couldn't help it."

A hard slap across her ass ceased the laughter that nearly escaped past her lips and Emma casually wiggled her eyebrows as she stared down into Regina's eyes. A teasing smile curled over her lips and it was one she knew Regina simply could not resist. She was rewarded with a hungry, sloppy kiss that made her toes curl and her heart race wildly out of control.

They kissed languidly until Emma pulled back and lazily rolled over and reached out for the drawer on her bedside table. She kept her eyes on Regina, watching as Regina trailed a hand over her abdomen and between her legs, teasing both herself and Emma as she caressed a finger over her hard clit. She blindly pulled out the relatively unused red feeldoe she had purchased less than a year ago and had only ever used it on herself when her fingers just hadn't been enough.

"I think its safe to say that red is one of your favourites," Regina chuckled from beside her as her fingers slipped from between her own legs.

"Something like that."

Regina turned on her side and reached out to stroke her fingers along Emma's lower abdomen. Her eyes roamed over her body and Emma deftly licked over her dry lips as she slid the shorter, wider piece over her pussy and pushed it inside. She exhaled sharply as she allowed her body to adjust to the strange new sensation, it quickly going from feeling strange to feeling good.

Regina curiously trailed her hand over the base, her short manicured nails scratching over Emma's closely cropped hair. Regina moved to kiss her, but Emma stopped her and moved to lean over her body, the rubber appendage pressing against Regina's pubic bone.

Emma kissed her firmly over her lips, not allowing the kiss to linger as she moved her lips down Regina's jaw and along the column of her neck. She licked over warm, smooth skin, pulling back to swallow lightly at the slightly salty taste of Regina's skin against her lips and tongue. With a sly grin, Emma dipped her head down and wrapped her lips around a stiff nipple, her fingers moving to the other to tease the nub with her fingers. With a playful nip of her teeth against the sensitive flesh, she continued on her descent down Regina's body, her tongue swirling over her tiny navel one, twice, before she languidly dragged her tongue down in a line that led straight to the thin strip of hair between Regina's legs.

Emma licked along her folds as Regina spread her legs with ease. She teased her clit with the tip of her tongue before wetly mixing her saliva and Regina's wetness, spreading it over her cunt hurriedly, suddenly unable to wait much longer to fuck her in a way she had only fantasied about in her dreams.

She nipped at her inner thigh before kneeling between her legs. Her hands swept up and down Regina's inner thighs, her eyes glued to her glistening pussy spread before her, waiting and ready. Emma idly chewed her bottom lip as she took a hold of the red rubber appendage and guided the tip, teasing over Regina's pussy and clit until Regina moaned loudly and leaned up on her elbows with a look of wanton desire in her eyes.

"Emma," she murmured as she reached for the hand that was wrapped around the feeldoe. She pressed the tip into her hole and Emma could feel the slight resistance.

Emma's eyes flicked down to watch as she pressed further into Regina, watching inch by inch disappear inside of her slowly. Regina wrapped her legs around Emma's waist and pulled her the last few inches until she bottomed out and she fell forward, bracing her hands on either side of Regina as she kept her hips still.

Their lips met suddenly and they were kissing hard and deep and when Regina's legs eased from the strong hold she had Emma's hips in, Emma began to slide out, stopping about halfway before she thrust it back in slowly and deeply. Regina sucked on her bottom lip and moaned as Emma settled into that slow, deep pace, her hips jerking every time she felt the base hit Regina's cunt hard.

"Faster," Regina murmured against her lips and Emma leaned back, gripping on to Regina's thighs as she began to thrust harder, faster. Her fingers gripped tighter on to Regina's thighs, holding her spread open as the headboard started to bang against the wall in succession with her wild, erratic thrusts.

She could feel there was less resistance the harder she fucked Regina and she glanced down between their bodies, moaning at the sight of how wet the red rubber cock was. Emma lifted her right hand to her lips and licked over the pad of her thumb before placing it on Regina's throbbing, swollen clit, rubbing her until Regina's whole body tensed and her back arched as she threw her head back and screamed out Emma's name.

Emma didn't slow down as she continued to rub over Regina's clit, drawing out the orgasm she knew was right there. She was on edge herself, ready to come undone, but she held it back, not wanting to stop just yet. She could feel a few beads of sweat roll down her back and with one last hard and deep thrust, she fell forward as Regina grasped at her back and shoulders, both of their bodies shuddering as they came together explosively. Regina wrapped her legs around Emma's hips once more and Emma kissed over her shoulder and up along the side of her neck before claiming her lips in a passionate yet languid kiss.

"Fuck," Emma muttered against Regina's lips when she felt her hips began to shift. "Regina?"

"Keep going," she demanded huskily. "Keep fucking me, Emma."

Emma's brow scrunched slightly and she couldn't help but laugh. She knew that Regina was insatiable and her libido was a perfect match for her own. Emma took a moment just to catch her breath before she pushed herself back and gripped at Regina's thighs, forcing her legs from around her hips and pressed them hard against the mattress.

Emma thrust hard, pulling the red cock out of her almost to the curved tip before plunging it back hard and deep inside of her. The headboard hit the wall, though not as hard or fast as before and Emma could hear just how wet Regina was with every hard thrust.

Emma shifted on her knees and lifted Regina's left leg up, her foot falling on top of Emma's shoulder as she changed the angle and the pace, fucking her hard and deep. Emma leaned forward, leaning her weight against the back of Regina's leg as she grasped at the sheets and continued to pump her hips hard. Hearing just how wet Regina was already had her growing closer and closer to another orgasm, one she knew she wouldn't be able to hold back even if she tried. She pushed herself back on her knees, her body trembling as she watched Regina snake a hand between her own legs, her fingers erratically rubbing over her clit.

"Emma!" Regina cried out and Emma thrust harder, the headboard slamming against the wall louder and louder with every thrust.

Emma groaned as she let go of Regina's leg and reached forward to grasp a hold of the headboard, seeking out the leverage so she could fuck her harder. Regina shifted so she was closer to the headboard and she gripped on to Emma's hips, guiding her into a blindingly faster pace.

"Regina, I'm gonna—fuck—I'm gonna cum," Emma gasped and Regina's fingers dug into her hips. "Regina—"

"Don't stop," Regina moaned loudly, arching into Emma before slapping a hand hard against her ass. "Harder."

"Regina—"

"Oh my god!" Ruby shrieked and Emma suddenly stopped as she whipped her head to look over her shoulder at her roommate and best friend who was standing in the open doorway, the take-out bag from the Chinese food place already fallen to the floor.

"Ruby, get the hell out of here!" Emma yelled as she let go of the headboard and buried her face into Regina's neck. "God, I'm so sorry."

Regina laughed— _laughed_ —and gently rubbed her hands over Emma's back as they both heard the bedroom door slam shut. "It's quite all right, darling," Regina whispered breathlessly. "Were you expecting her?"

"Not until later at least," Emma muttered and she leaned up on her elbows to look down into Regina's beautiful brown eyes. "I'm so sorry. God, this is completely embarrassing."

"Be as that may," Regina said and she slapped her ass again. "Don't stop."

Emma groaned and she squealed as Regina grabbed a hold of her and managed to roll them over. She grinned salaciously before she pushed herself back and rolled her hips, creating a whole host of new sensations as it shifted the plug inside of Emma and caused the base to rub deliciously over her clit.

"I believe it's time that I am on top, don't you think so, dear?" Regina asked in a dangerously low and husky voice and all Emma could do was nod her head and lick over her lips as she stared up at the goddess on top of her.

Even despite the fact she could hear Ruby giggling just past the closed bedroom door, Emma let herself drown in Regina completely.

[X]

A permanent blush settled over her cheeks as she and Regina sat on the ratty old couch together while Ruby perched herself on the edge of the arm chair. It had been another hour before they had emerged from Emma's bedroom and while Emma was clearly embarrassed over the fact that Ruby had caught them fucking wildly in her bed, Regina had a look of indifference settled on her face.

"You know, I did call you," Ruby said, breaking the awkward silence that filled the room. "My date fell through and I stopped to grab dinner. I swear if I knew Regina was here, I wouldn't have come home until much later."

"It's fine," Regina answered when Emma just used the chopsticks to push the rice and noodles over her plate. "It was quite the unfortunate timing, but as it stands, we're all adults here. I believe Emma is more embarrassed than you and I," she said with a light chuckle and she leaned over to kiss over Emma's flushed cheek. "Darling?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you all right?"

"Yep," she squeaked out and Ruby burst out laughing. Emma's head shot up and she glared at her best friend. "Let's just never talk about what you saw ever again, you got that, Rubes?"

"Fine!" Ruby laughed and she shook her head. "But let's be real for a minute here. It was really fucking hot the way you were just drilling into her like—hey!" Ruby squealed as Emma grabbed a noodle off her plate and flung it at her. "Fine, fine, we'll never talk about it again!"

"Good!"

"Darling?" Regina asked with a slight chuckle. "I'm afraid I cannot stay much longer," she said quietly and Emma frowned. "I have an early meeting in the morning that I absolutely cannot miss or be late for."

"I understand."

"Can I see you tomorrow?" She asked as her fingers moved to stroke at the back of her head lightly. "Say around five?"

"Okay."

"Shall I meet you here or at your office?"

"Uh," Emma paused as she idly chewed at her bottom lip. "The office. It's closer."

"Wonderful," Regina smiled. "I was hoping we could finally go out for dinner and then, if you have no other plans, I want to take you home to my place."

"Okay."

"I have a pool," she whispered into her ear. "Bathing suits optional."

Emma swallowed hard and they both stood up from the couch. Emma took Regina's nearly empty plate and placed it on the coffee table with hers before she walked her to the door. Regina tightened the belt of her trench coat around her waist and smiled as she leaned in to kiss her softly.

"I will see you tomorrow, darling?"

"At five," Emma smiled, leaning in for another kiss even though Ruby was watching their every move. "Good night, Regina."

"Good night, my love," Regina whispered and she slipped out the door and sauntered down the hallway towards the elevators, turning to blow a kiss with a wink back at Emma before she turned the corner.

"Good night, my love," Ruby teased as Emma slowly shut the door. "God, Ems, she's really smoking hot!"

"I know."

"You're really lucky, you know that right?"

"I know," Emma smiled and she plopped down heavily on the ratty old couch and groaned. "I'm really in trouble with her, aren't I?"

"In a good way," Ruby laughed and she headed for the kitchen. "Wine?"

"No," Emma said with a small shake of her head. "I'll pass, thanks."

Emma smiled as she closed her eyes, visions of Regina in the white bikini flooding her mind. Despite how hard it'd been in the last couple of weeks, despite the heartbreak she had felt for absolutely no reason, it had felt nothing short of amazing to be with Regina again. No matter what happened from there on out, she knew that they would find a way to be together, to make it work no matter what life tended to throw their way.

Emma didn't think that from the first moment she saw that gorgeous woman in the white bikini that things would lead to where they were now, but she was just grateful for the last minute vacation and the woman who inevitably had changed her entire life.


	3. Part III

**Author's Notes: So...I wasn't going to continue but plenty of you guys have requested more (here, on twitter, etc) so I let my muse take a gander at some more. You should expect at least one more part to this one. No promises on any more than that. Don't forget to review and do enjoy!**

 **Warning: Anal sex**

* * *

Emma Swan excitedly ran down to the beach, stopping halfway across the pool area to remove her flip-flops. The moment she hit the hot sand, she wriggled her toes and smiled as she looked over the busy beach, immediately taking a trip down memory lane of when she'd stood in almost that very same spot and had first laid her eyes of the gorgeous brunette in the white bikini.

When Regina had first suggested the idea they make a trip back to Jamaica, coincidentally the first ten days of June as they had done the year before, Emma had jumped at the chance, booking her time off with The River and spent hours looking at flights and room prices that very night.

A lot of things had changed over the course of a year. While their relationship had gotten off to a rocky start when they'd first returned home, Regina gained Emma's trust in her, keeping her word when they made plans, setting aside some time while she was away on a business trip to call Emma, and surprising Emma on nights that Emma was sure she wasn't going to see her. After six months, Regina gave her a key to her condo. A month after that, she got furious and called Emma an idiot because she was supposed to move in as that was the whole reason she'd given her the key in the first place.

Their relationship had their ups and downs, and fortunately there were a lot more ups than downs. They had their disagreements, their petty little arguments, and Emma had quickly learned after moving in with Regina that leaving her clothes on the floor beside the hamper and not in it drove Regina up the wall. The same went for when she'd get up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water and left the glass in the sink instead of putting it in the dishwasher. Petty little lazy habits that Emma had were quickly resolved before they began to cause problems between the two.

The one thing that had definitely flourished was their sex life. While in the beginning it had been every single chance they got, especially on those days Emma would go over to swim in Regina's rooftop pool, bathing suits always optional and the only time either of them wore anything was when they weren't alone. The one thing that had never changed was their constant fight to be on top and it always made things interesting and kept things fresh.

"Oh my god, it's absolutely gorgeous!" Ruby exclaimed as she joined Emma on the sand and fanned herself. "And absolutely hot!"

"You'll get used to it," Emma chuckled as she turned to look at her best friend and ex-roommate. "Where are Regina and Kathryn?"

"Well, if someone didn't run off, you would've found out that the hotel upgraded you and Regina to the honeymoon suite because there was something wrong with the room you two booked and they have no other rooms."

"What? Really?" Emma asked and Ruby nodded. "You're fucking with me, aren't you?" She asked and Ruby grinned and shook her head no. "Really?"

"I'm totally jealous," Ruby laughed as she slung an arm around Emma's shoulders. "Where can a girl get a cold drink around here?"

Emma turned and pointed to the bar and smiled at the bartender who gave her a little wave. "Don't start drinking too early, Rubes, it's only ten in the morning."

"I'll have you know, Ems, that Regina told me all about your early morning drinking habits while you were here the last time."

"That bitch!" Emma laughed and they approached the bar together. "Two sunsets, please."

"Who is a bitch?" Regina asked from behind her and Emma spun around quickly. Ruby coughed and nodded at her and Regina did her best evil glare as she looked Emma up and down. "I'm the bitch?"

"Yes?"

Regina turned to look at Kathryn who had just joined them and they both started laughing before Regina turned back to Emma and leaned in to whisper into her ear. "Call me a bitch one more time and I'll be sharing the honeymoon suite with Kathryn instead of you."

"Regina, I'm sorry," Emma immediately said and she genuinely thought Regina was serious until she saw the smirk curl over her lips. "You are such a _bitch_."

"I know," she chuckled and kissed her cheek lightly. "What are you two having?"

"Sunsets," Emma replied.

"Two more of those, please," Regina said to the bartender who was now looking at them in bewildered curiosity. "I suppose Ruby told you that the hotel upgraded us to the honeymoon suite?"

"Yeah," Emma smiled and her hand easily found Regina's as they waited for their drinks. "But does it really matter? I mean, we're hardly going to be spending that much time in our room other than to sleep and fu—"

"Really, dear?" Regina chuckled when Emma cut herself off. "You need to be a little more discreet," she whispered before she let go of Emma's hand. "We're not in Boston and you know that the laws down here are extremely different."

"Sorry," Emma muttered quietly and Regina handed out the drinks once they were made.

The four of them walked down the beach a little ways, sipping their drinks until they were empty and they returned the glasses to the bar before heading to their separate rooms to get into their bathing suits. Despite the fact that Ruby and Kathryn did not know each other that well, they were sharing a room a few floors below Emma and Regina, and after the long flight down, they'd had plenty of time to get acquainted.

Emma had packed her bikini last, a different one from last year. It was light blue and almost too revealing. Regina hadn't been with her when she'd bought it and had no idea just how teeny-tiny the suit was, but at least it covered her. Mostly. Emma quickly changed into the bikini and turned around to find Regina standing before her in the white bikini and struggling to reach behind her to tie the top.

"Emma," Regina gasped as her eyes raked over her bikini-clad body. "Please tell me you packed another suit."

"Why? What's wrong with this one?"

"It's far too revealing!"

"Everything is covered!" Emma protested and Regina shook her head as she turned around and let Emma help her tie her top together. "Don't you like it?"

"I didn't say that, darling, but I really do not want to see other people ogling you. It makes me uncomfortable knowing they're going to be staring at you. This top, you look like you're about to spill out of it," Regina said as she ran her fingers over the edge of the thin fabric that just barely covered her breasts. "Emma…"

"What?"

"Did you pack another suit?" Regina asked again and Emma nodded slowly. "Is it the white one?" Upon Emma's second nod, Regina marched over to where her suitcase lay open still and she went through it until she pulled the second bikini out. "Put it on."

"But I just bought this," Emma muttered as Regina forced the other bikini into her hands. "And it wasn't cheap either!"

"Seems to me it should've been the cheapest thing on the rack considering how little fabric they used."

Emma quickly changed, a frown firmly etched over her lips as she adjusted the top while Regina watched. After she pulled her hair back in a high ponytail, Regina's arms wrapped around her from behind and her lips kissed over the nape of her neck. Emma sighed at the affectionate kiss and turned in her arms slowly with a smile.

"I'm sure Kathryn and Ruby are waiting for us," Emma said softly. "And I don't know about you, Regina, but I can't wait to get back down to the beach."

"They can wait a few minutes more," Regina replied before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss that ended far too soon and left Emma wanting more. Regina was quick to move just out of Emma's reach and she pulled her wrap skirt around her waist before grabbing her small beach bag that had sunscreen along with a book and a few other items. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded. She grabbed her jean shorts and pulled them on before following Regina out of the honeymoon suite. "You know, it's not that different of a room. The one you stayed in last time was about the same size."

"There is a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom," Regina replied as they made their way down the hallway to the elevators. "The balcony is also rather secluded and we have access to a rooftop patio."

"Fancy," Emma chuckled. She briefly looked down the hallway before pulling Regina in for a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you," Regina smiled, kissing her once more just before the elevator doors slid open. "I still remember the first time you said those words to me."

"Yeah?" Emma smiled right back at her because if anything, her finally saying those three little words to Regina had taken a while and she knew before they'd slipped out that Regina was contemplating whether her feelings were reciprocated at all despite the time they spent together and how good the sex was. "I should've told you sooner."

"You needed time," Regina replied. "I hurt you in the beginning and you needed time to work through that, to learn that you could trust me again. I understood then and I understand now just why it took you almost six months to tell me that you love me."

"But I think I knew before I got on the plane that day that I loved you," Emma replied and Regina just leaned in for a quick kiss before the elevator reached the lobby.

Kathryn and Ruby were waiting in the lobby in a seating area just around the corner from the elevators. When they noticed Emma and Regina approaching, their conversation came to a complete halt. Emma knew that look on Ruby's face better than anything and she walked over to her best friend and linked their arms together, leading the way out to the pool area.

"So, what were you and Kathryn talking about?"

"Nothing special," Ruby replied with a subtle shrug that was anything but. "We were just getting to know each other. She's not half bad, actually."

"Oh?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"I think we can actually be friends. We have more in common than I thought we would," Ruby said and she shrugged again before pulling her arm free. "Beach or pool?"

"Always the beach," Emma replied and she led the way to the cabana where they were handed several blankets to lay out on the sand. "The pool area gets busy and those loungers?" Emma said as she nodded towards the row of white loungers that were set up. "Totally not as comfortable as laying on sand."

The four of them picked a spot on the crowded beach and settled down on the blankets. Emma had been dreaming of returning since the moment she had left, but she had never imagined that she would return there with Regina and their friends a whole year later. While their anniversary date was a subject discussed, it was one neither seemed to ever agree on, but if they were going to be technical about a specific date, it would be the first time they were together after they had spent most of the second day together and ended up in Regina's bed.

And that day in question would fall on their second day this time around as well, something Emma was certain Regina had planned for when she booked the trip for the four of them. Emma spent the time on the beach that day recalling how they'd met and the time they'd spent together down there in Jamaica the first time around. While she never imagined she'd meet and fall in love with someone as amazing as Regina, it still felt like fate had been at work when she took the last trip there alone.

[X]

Emma lounged on the comfortable beige couch in the living area of their suite, her legs dangled over the edge of the arm, her feet tapping randomly as she watched the door to the bedroom, waiting for Regina to emerge. For the last hour Regina had been laying down, the sun having gotten to her despite the fact she vacationed down in Jamaica every June since her early teen years. Emma had given her space to lay down and sleep for a while, but as six o'clock approached, she was growing antsy and hungry.

A knock on the door caused Emma to leap up from the couch and after looking through the peephole, she opened it to allow Ruby and Kathryn to enter the suite. She frowned slightly when Kathryn just gave her a look and without a word, Kathryn strolled over to the bedroom and entered.

"This is pretty fancy," Ruby said as she took a look around the room. "Where is the bathroom?"

"Through the bedroom."

"Does it have one of those heart-shaped tubs?"

"No," Emma laughed and she sat down on the couch with Ruby sitting down next to her. "It's a Jacuzzi though and I'm pretty sure we'll get some use out of it while we're here."

"Oh, and what will Regina think about the two of us sharing a bath?" Ruby joked and Emma just playfully slugged her in the shoulder. "Do you think she's feeling all right?"

"I don't know."

"You haven't checked on her?"

"She said she wanted to nap alone," Emma replied with a shrug. "She seemed testy when she said it just before she slammed the door in my face."

"Emma—"

"Look, when Regina says she wants to be alone, you don't argue with her. You know better than anyone that I had to learn _that_ the hard way," Emma replied and she sighed as she turned to lay down on the couch, resuming her earlier position with her head near Ruby's lap. "She was busier than usual with work the last couple of days. She was trying to get ahead on some of the paperwork and I think she's just run out of fuel. Maybe after another day she'll be back to her normal self."

"You're afraid of pissing her off and you let Kathryn go in there?"

"Kathryn is her best friend."

"You're her girlfriend!"

"Ruby," Emma said with a shake of her head. "I really would rather not get into a petty little argument with my girlfriend while we're away on vacation. If she wants to nap alone, I'm going to let her nap alone and not bother her."

"I'm just saying—"

"Saying what, exactly?"

"You know what, Ems, forget it," Ruby sighed in her overly dramatic way that endlessly grated on Emma's nerves. Yet, thankfully, before Emma could say anything back, the door to the bedroom opened and Kathryn exited first followed by Regina. "Are we ready to go for dinner now, ladies?"

"Yes, we most definitely are," Kathryn said with a smile and she glanced back at Regina just as Emma sat up on the couch. "We'll meet you two down there? We'll make sure they don't give our table away and we're already cutting it close to our reservation time."

"Yes, we'll be right along, Kathryn," Regina smiled at her tiredly. "Thank you."

Emma ran her fingers through her hair as she gave Ruby an apologetic smile just before she and Kathryn exited the room. Regina made her way over to the couch and sat down next to Emma.

"Are you feeling better?" Emma asked and Regina nodded her head as she folded her hands in her lap over the skirt she was wearing. Emma smiled and leaned over to place a soft kiss on her cheek just shy of her lips. "Regina, is everything all right?"

"Hmm? Of course everything is all right," Regina assured her and she stood up slowly, reaching out for Emma's hand. "Would you like to go up and check out the rooftop patio before we join Kathryn and Ruby for dinner?"

"Now?"

"Yes," Regina chuckled softly and she reached for the key the hotel manager had given her along with the key card to the room. "I'd love to see it before the sun sets and I have a feeling we'll be down at the restaurant for a while tonight."

Emma grabbed Regina's purse as they headed for the door and with a grateful smile, Regina took it from her once they were out of the room and they found the access to the rooftop patio just around the corner. Emma had a strange feeling about this whole thing and she had felt it earlier when Regina had slammed the bedroom door in her face when she told her she wanted to lay down alone for a little while. And just as she had before, she shrugged it off and followed Regina up the steep stairs that led up to the roof of the hotel.

The first thing Emma noticed before Regina pulled open the door was that there was music playing, albeit a little quietly, but there was still music. Her curiosity piqued when Regina paused in the doorway and turned to her with what looked like a very nervous smile curled over her lips.

If Emma knew her well, and she did, Regina was very rarely nervous. Emma just cocked her head to the side as Regina took a few deep breaths and led them out onto the balcony.

The second thing Emma noticed was while the rooftop patio was small, it had a table and some chairs, but that wasn't out of the ordinary. What was out of the ordinary was the fact the table had an elegant looking white tablecloth, a hurricane lamp in the middle and plates, glasses, cutlery, on either end of the small square table. The music that was playing came from a small stereo and when Emma turned to Regina, before she could utter a word, Regina's lips were on hers, kissing her in a way that rendered her speechless.

"We're not going down to the restaurant for dinner, are we?" Emma whispered against her lips and even with her eyes closed she knew Regina shook her head no. "Regina—"

"I know we could never agree on what day our anniversary falls on, Emma, but a part of me wants to believe it would be the day we met. That day would be one year today and I wanted to do something special tonight with you, just you and I, and perhaps the waiter that is expected to bring our dinner up shortly."

Emma looked around in awe and the view was spectacular in every direction. The sun would set in a little over an hour and Emma knew they'd be afforded a view that nothing else would compare to. Emma walked over to the table and smiled as she looked down at the subtle floral arrangement.

"Kathryn was in on this, wasn't she?"

"Yes," Regina laughed as she placed her purse on the stone floor beside one of the chairs and wrapped her arms around Emma's waist. "Ruby was as well."

"You faked your nap, didn't you?"

"Yes," Regina whispered as Emma loosely draped her arms over Regina's shoulders, their bodies moving closer together as they began to sway subtly to the music that played. "I'm sorry, darling. I wanted this to be a surprise."

"Don't apologize," Emma laughed and she kissed her. "This is perfect, Regina."

They kissed and danced until Emma pulled apart first and she took a moment just to look at the beautiful woman she had fallen in love with a year ago. They had a life together and Emma could only hope for many more years, if not a lifetime more filled with memories they'd make and share together. Emma, overwhelmed with her own budding emotions, pulled Regina in for a kiss in an attempt to quell the thousands of different thoughts she had going through her mind in that very moment.

"I love you, Regina."

"I love you," she whispered back and leaned in to kiss her once more.

"So, nobody can see us from the ground?" Emma murmured against her lips as her fingers nimbly began to raise the hem of Regina's light, loose skirt up over her thighs. "Regina?"

"I don't believe so," she sighed against her lips. "But we are expecting a waiter shortly, darling."

"Is this waiter going to stay up here the whole time?"

"No," Regina chuckled. "Just to serve us our meal."

"Can I ask you something?" Emma asked and Regina just nodded as she raised a hand to tuck Emma's hair behind her right ear. "How long have you been planning this?"

"Since I booked our room."

"There was never anything wrong with the room you told me we were getting, was there?"

"No."

"You're such a liar!" Emma laughed and Regina simply rolled her eyes.

"I prefer cunningly clever since you had absolutely no idea."

"I can't believe Ruby kept a secret for longer than a day!"

"It was her idea to book the honeymoon suite actually. She had called me about two weeks ago after having done some extensive research on the hotel and some of the rather quaint features they offer that aren't well-known," Regina explained and she chuckled quietly when Emma's mouth just gaped open and she stood there staring at her in disbelief. "Kathryn arranged for the hotel restaurant to cater to us up here tonight and in fact she and Ruby put all of this together while—"

"You had a fake nap. Alone."

"Whatever did you do that whole time?"

"Laid on the couch," Emma shrugged. "It's pretty comfortable and I mean, I almost wanted to sneak into the bed with you even if that meant I had to sleep on that couch tonight."

That look of nervousness was back and Regina managed to slyly cover it up by pulling Emma in for a deep kiss. Emma's fingers were right back to sliding just under the hem of her skirt, making her intentions clear even though they had every chance at being caught by a waiter that was bringing their dinner soon. Every time her fingers brushed along Regina's thigh and the underside of her perfectly sculpted buttocks, Regina was pulling and swatting her hands away.

Emma could feel an almost desperate need building since it had been a handful of days since they'd been remotely intimate. Regina submerged herself in her work and Emma had worked with the senior editor and her temporary replacement that would over look her job for the next twelve days before she returned to work. That in turn left both of them overworked and exhausted, leaving just barely enough time to squeeze in a few hours of sleep for the last couple of nights.

A throat clearing nearby had Emma halting her endless attempts to slide her hands under Regina's skirt and she nearly leapt back from her as a petite Jamaican man smiled politely at them. He had a large silver tray balanced on both hands and with a nod of his head towards the tables, he waited until they were seated before he pulled off the covers from the food and served them, placing the warm plate on top of the larger one already laid out on the table.

"Madam Mills, I will return in a moment with the bottle of cider you had sent down to the kitchen," the waiter said with a small bow before he carried the empty tray to the rooftop access door.

"Madam Mills?" Emma chuckled as she looked down at her plate. It was definitely a Jamaican dish and she had fallen in love with jerk chicken during her last visit. "What is this? We didn't have this before, did we?"

"No, we certainly didn't. This is the chef's choice," Regina replied. "Jerk chicken and curry pork in his signature sauce on a bed of grain rice and egg noodles."

"And vegetables."

"Steamed, not fried as I know you enjoy them best," she said with a soft chuckle at the look that settled over Emma's features. "It smells as delicious as it looks."

"It sure does. You brought a bottle of cider?"

"Of course I did, dear."

"That you sent down to the kitchen?"

"It does taste better chilled. I know it's how you enjoy it best."

Emma smiled and reached for her fork and began eating, moaning with every bite she took until Regina quietly coughed and raised an eyebrow up at her. Emma swallowed hard and mouthed a silent apology as the waiter finally returned with the large bottle of cider and a jug of ice water.

He left after apologizing for being tardy with their drinks, but Regina just told him it was quite all right and that she would call down for someone to retrieve their dishes after they'd finished their meal. They continued to eat as the music played soft, slow yet sultry musical songs that Emma recognized from Regina's playlist she often liked to listen to when she soaked in the bath at home and sometimes when they made love if Regina was already laying in bed, listening to her iPod and reading at the end of a long, busy day.

Emma ate everything but the steamed vegetables on her plate and Regina left most of the rice but ate nearly everything else. They sipped the cider, which was definitely better when it was cold even though Emma knew Regina preferred it to be room temperature.

Emma groaned quietly as she sat back on the chair and ran a hand over her full stomach with a smile. As far as anniversary dinners went, she knew that unless they continued to make the trip down to Jamaica every June, this would be a hard one to top, especially if she was the one planning it all out. She looked out towards the water and noticed the sun had dipped below some clouds that skirted over the horizon, but the colours that were produced despite were becoming brilliant and Emma stood up and walked to the edge of the roof top patio where the glass fence prevented her from getting any closer to the edge.

"Beautiful," Regina whispered as she wrapped an arm around her and stood next to her and when Emma nodded, she looked over at Regina and realized her eyes were not on the sunset, but on her. "Truly beautiful, Emma."

"Me?" Emma feigned shock and Regina laughed with a shake of her head and swept in to plant a soft yet firm kiss on her lips. "Thank you, Regina. This—this has been amazing. I never expected anything like this."

"You deserve this and so much more," Regina whispered into her ear and the way her voice husked as it dropped sent delicious shivers down Emma's spine. Regina's lips kissed over the corner of her mouth before she turned Emma in her arms until they were facing one another. "I've been waiting for the perfect moment and this is it."

"The perfect moment for what?"

"I love you, I love you so very much, darling. I never would've imagined that I'd find a love quite like this after I had convinced myself that I would never fall in love again. But you, you came into my life quite unexpectedly and I still wish the first time we met had gone a little better," she said and she paused to laugh for a moment. "We fit perfectly together even when we bicker over nonsense. You truly feel as if you are the other half of my soul, Emma, the other half of my heart. I don't know what I would do without you in my life because all I can see from this day forward is you in it."

Emma swallowed hard as the emotions hit her like a tonne of bricks. She'd heard Regina speak this way before, but this was on an entirely different level. This was coming straight from her soul and the emotions were flooding through her just as well.

"Regina, I—I—"

"Emma Swan, my whole life changed the moment you came into it. My whole life continued to change after our trip here and every day since. I want to continue to make memories with you, my love, memories that will last a lifetime more," she said softly and Emma felt a single tear fall from her eye and roll down her cheek. "Emma Swan, what I'm asking you is will you marry me?"

Regina stepped back and uncurled her right hand that had been balled in a fist. As the clouds moved away from the setting sun, the light caught the diamond on the ring that lay flat in her open palm. Emma was shaking slightly as Regina picked up the ring with her other hand, the light still catching on the diamond in the middle and the ones that went around the white gold band.

"I—I—" Emma was utterly speechless, unable to blink away the happy tears that filled her eyes and blurred her vision. It took her several moments to find the word she wanted to say and with a nod of her head, it came out. "Yes."

Regina's own tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks as she took Emma's left hand in hers and she deftly slipped the ring onto her ring finger. While it was only a little loose, it was otherwise a perfect fit. Regina lifted Emma's hand to her lips and kissed the spot just below the ring and her second knuckle.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," Emma breathed as their lips met slowly, the song changing to one Emma hadn't heard before, but it fit the mood completely. The kiss was sweet, serene and full of passion. The hunger Emma normally had when she kissed her lingered, but she lost herself in the kiss and the emotions of the moment that had just unfolded. When they parted, Regina moved to kiss away her tears with a smile curling over her lips as she pulled back. "Regina, I—"

"I have known for quite some time now that I want to marry you, Emma," Regina said quietly as their arms wrapped around one another a little tighter. "I have known for quite some time that I want to be your wife and for you to be mine. We already have a life together and I would love for us to take that next step."

"I would love to be your wife."

Regina smiled and it filled Emma with a warmth she still couldn't quite describe even after a year of being with her and being on the receiving end of it many, many times. Just as she hooked a finger under Regina's chin and was about to kiss her once more, the rooftop access door swung open and banged loudly against the wall.

"I told you we were going to miss it!" Ruby exclaimed to Kathryn who was right behind her and holding a camera. "We so shouldn't have had that third drink!"

"Regina?" Kathryn asked tentatively as Regina's eyes were locked with Emma's in a deeply intense gaze.

"Yes?"

"Did you—oh!" Kathryn tittered as she caught sight of the ring on Emma's finger. "Let me take pictures! You wanted pictures! It's not too late for pictures is it?"

Emma chuckled as she leaned in to kiss Regina softly. She could hear Ruby whispering to Kathryn to take the damn pictures already and not to ruin the moment that was unfolding between the two of them. Emma's hands moved down to grasp at Regina's ass and she let out a small gasp as she pulled back from Emma's lips.

"Keep it tasteful, darling, because I want at least one of these pictures framed and put on my desk in the office."

"Right," Emma chuckled with a soft shake of her head and after they shared one last kiss, she stepped out of Regina's warm embrace and was quickly engulfed in a tight hug by Ruby. "Rubes, not so tight!"

"You're engaged!"

"I know!"

"Let me see," Ruby said and she pulled away from their too-tight embrace and held Emma's hand so she could see the ring. "Holy shit, it's more amazing than it was the first time I saw it."

"You saw it before?" Emma asked and Ruby laughed. "When did you see it before?!"

"Right after Regina bought it," Ruby replied with a subtle shrug. "She wanted to know what I thought and if it was suitable for you. You're not one for jewellery, Ems, and since you really don't have any family aside from me and Granny, Regina thought that—"

Regina smiled as she looked over at her. "I wanted Ruby's approval. It means a lot to get her approval to me, Emma, because she is family."

"She even asked Granny if she could ask you to marry her," Ruby chuckled quietly. "You should've seen the look on Granny's face. She was dumbfounded and then she started whooping loudly. It was quite embarrassing."

"Everyone knew?" Emma asked, her gaze flicking between Ruby and Regina and then at Kathryn who all nodded. "How many people knew exactly?"

"Just us," Ruby said. "And Granny. And everyone that was at the diner that morning Regina came to ask for her permission."

"And just how long ago was this?"

"A few weeks ago," Ruby replied and Emma playfully slugged her in the shoulder. "What was that for?"

"That's for keeping a secret!" Emma chuckled and she sighed contently as Regina stood behind her and wrapped her arms around her. "You have never, in all the years I have known you, Ruby, been able to keep a secret for that long. Not ever!"

"It was hard, but totally worth it. You had no idea, did you?"

"None. None what so ever."

Emma turned her head as Regina kissed along her jaw lightly. Emma turned in her arms, unable to stop herself from kissing her girlfriend— _fiancée!_ —in front of their friends. She smiled against Regina's lips when Kathryn yanked Ruby away and took a few more pictures.

As darkness engulfed, they headed back inside. It didn't take much convincing from Ruby and Kathryn for them to agree to joining them down in the hotel restaurant for celebratory drinks, but by the time they got down there, it was far to busy and there was even a wait to be seated at the bar. The four of them headed outside and down to the beach, everyone completely relieved to find the bar down there still open.

They ordered a round of shots and then a second round, encouraged by Ruby, before Emma and Ruby ordered a few bottles of Corona and Regina settled on a glass of merlot and Kathryn with a large glass of white wine. They moved to find a table near the large pool and settled down.

While they were careful with their affection for one another, especially in a country where their relationship was essentially breaking a law, Emma couldn't help but slide her chair closer to Regina and she draped an arm over the back of her chair. Her fingertips teased over her bare shoulder now and again. They did receive a few curious stares, mostly from staff members that passed by, but none of them uttered a word at the newly engaged couple.

They talked and laughed until the pool area became crowded with the night crowd looking to drink, to swim and dance the night away. Emma knew just from the look that Regina sent her way that she was itching to get back to their room so they could celebrate in their own way. After they said good night to Ruby and Kathryn, who had decided to join the party at the pool, they headed back up to their suite together in silence.

A part of Emma wished she had a family, a true family, of her own. She wanted to call her mother and tell her that she was engaged to the love of her life and to hear the excited squeals and hear the well wishes and love passed on while her mother sobbed uncontrollably through the happy tears. She wanted Regina to have asked her father for her hand in marriage instead of Granny and she wanted to hear stories of how her father had meticulously gone over a host of requirements he expected Regina to follow and then some.

"Darling, is everything all right?" Regina asked softly and upon Emma's nod, she turned to her just before the elevator reached the top floor and she sighed, taking Emma's hand in her own and led her into the hallway. "Are you happy? You aren't having any doubts about saying yes, are you?"

"God, of course not! I am happy, Regina," Emma replied quickly and they came to a stop just outside the elevator. "You know me, when I get into my head too much, I tend to disappear for a little while," she said as she raised her left hand and tapped lightly on the side of her head. "I don't dwell on my past, not often, but I feel like—it's silly really."

"It's not silly," Regina said quietly. "Come, let's go into the room and we'll talk."

"Okay."

Emma allowed herself to be led down the hallway and waited for Regina to reach into her purse to pull the key card free. Once they were inside, Emma immediately kicked off her flip-flops and settled down on the couch, admiring her ring in the soft light from the lamp beside the left side of the couch.

Regina followed suit, although not as quickly as Emma had. Once she was seated next to her on the couch, Regina's hands immediately went for hers and she intertwined their fingers gently together.

"You're thinking about your parents," Regina concluded and Emma nodded, sniffing softly and wishing she hadn't started thinking about the parents that had abandoned her as a newborn baby. "They missed out on so much of your life, but you don't need to feel guilty, _they_ do. They're missing out on having an amazing daughter."

"I sometimes wonder if they ever think about me," Emma said quietly and Regina nodded as she moved to sit closer to her. "I—I think when we get home that I want to start looking for them."

"Emma—"

"I know what I said before, that I didn't care, that I didn't want to know who they are or find them, but I kind of want to know who they are, what kind of people they are…" Emma trailed off and as always when the topic arose, Regina was nothing but patient and understanding. "I was thinking about what it'd be like to call my mother, to tell her that we're engaged and what it'd be like to hear how happy she is for both of us."

"We could always call my mother," Regina chuckled and Emma rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be absolutely _ecstatic_ to hear we're engaged."

"Oh I don't know, perhaps you underestimate my mother at the best of times. When I told her I was planning on asking you to marry me, she—"

"Told you that you were making the biggest mistake of your life?"

"No," Regina chuckled. "Believe it or not, she cried, happy tears and she sobbed in a way I have never seen her do before. She may not be the warmest person in the world, Emma, but she adores you even if she very rarely shows it."

"She knew too?" Emma sighed and Regina chuckled again, moving in swiftly to place a kiss on her lips. "Everyone knew and I didn't have a single clue?"

"Darling, I wanted for it to be a surprise. I had Kathryn hold on to the ring for weeks because I was so afraid if I brought it home and hid it somewhere that you would've inevitably have found it."

"Like any new toys you bring home and hide, waiting for the right moment to bring it out?" Emma grinned and Regina rolled her eyes. "I love you and I love that you went through all of this and went to great lengths to keep it from me."

"Do you want to call my mother?" Regina asked. "Just to sate that desire you have to hear of that motherly approval and excitement?"

"You want to call Cora now?"

"It's growing late, but she certainly wouldn't mind."

"Yeah, no thanks," Emma snorted. "Your mother is a piece of work, Regina."

"Careful now, that's your future mother-in-law."

"I think I can live with that," Emma grinned as she pulled Regina on to her lap with ease. "I know I can because I have you and you are nothing like your mother."

"Oh I don't know about that," Regina said and she moved to straddle her hips instead of sitting sideways on her lap. "I do recall you referring to me as a bitch earlier."

"You know I didn't mean it."

"I know," Regina smiled and she lifted up off of Emma's lap as Emma's fingers began to inch her loose fitting skirt up her thighs. "If you are truly serious about searching for your birth parents, I know of someone who could help."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, I am quite serious. If this is what you would like to pursue, we can most definitely look into how to go about it once we return home."

"Okay."

"Is there anything else on your mind, my love?" Regina asked as she lifted a hand to thread her fingers through Emma's hair gently. Upon Emma's silence and her fingers that glided freely under her skirt, Regina chuckled as she rose from her lap slowly. "Come," she murmured as she pulled Emma up from the couch. "I believe we have an engagement to celebrate, darling."

Emma had no doubt that even with the thoughts that had swarmed her out of nowhere that Regina would quickly change her entire focus and all with just a sultry look as she was guided into the bedroom by her fiancée.

They had been intimate a thousand times over, but for Emma, something felt so very different between them as they hurriedly undressed each other. Emma let out a squeal of surprise when Regina jumped into her arms and she fell back onto the bed a moment later.

The fight for the top was never-ending and even when it became frustrating for them both when neither would relinquish control, it didn't stop them from making love, from pushing personal boundaries and finding new highs together. Emma eventually gave in, grinning as she found herself on her back and beneath Regina who had a look of triumph on her face, a look that soon gave way to arousal as Emma swept her hands down her back, her fingers moving slowly over her spine.

Regina stopped her when her hands fell on her ass, pulling her hard against her core. With a quick kiss to her lips, Regina climbed off of her and the bed, sauntering over to where her suitcase lay open on the little stand by the small dresser. Emma leaned up on her elbows and drank in the sight of Regina's perfect naked ass on clear display just mere feet away from her. She licked over her lips hungrily, remembering all the times she's taken Regina from behind, either with her fingers, her tongue, or a strap-on.

They had played around with anal once or twice, but never anything more than a teasing fingertip that slipped in just a little before one or the other would shy away. With that thought in mind, Emma crawled off the bed and approached her slowly and quietly, running her hands over the smooth skin of her curvy behind.

"Emma," Regina breathed out shakily. "Get back on the bed."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for something I brought along," she replied as she continued to carefully go through her suitcase. Emma breathed in shakily as she trailed a finger down the crack of her ass, stopping when the tip of her finger circled over her puckered hole and Regina inhaled sharply. "Emma…"

Emma didn't speak as she braced her other hand on the small of her back and slipped her teasing finger down in between Regina's folds. She was already so wet and Emma let her middle finger tease along her slit, gathering up the wetness she found waiting there for her. Regina reached out to grab on to the edge of the dresser and widened her stance just a little more as Emma continued to slick her finger over her wet pussy.

Her heart was racing as she trailed her arousal soaked finger back up to the puckered hole. She expected some resistance and was pleasantly surprised when Regina press back against her finger and relaxed just enough to allow her to slip the tip inside of her.

"Fuck," Emma groaned at how tight she felt. "Regina?"

"Don't stop," she murmured as she gripped on to the edge of the small dresser tightly.

Emma did stop, wanting to take her on the bed because she could already feel her shaking slightly as she tried to stay upright on her feet. Regina let go of the dresser as a small whimper escaped past her lips. Emma ran her hands over her hips and her ass firmly and Regina groaned before continuing to search through her suitcase until she pulled out a small black satchel and stood up with a sultry smile curling over her lips as she turned around.

"What?"

"I picked something up yesterday," Regina replied.

"Oh?" Emma raised an eyebrow curiously. "And what is this something, Regina? Is it for you and me, or just one of us?" Emma asked as she eyed the small black satchel knowing it was far too small to be another strap-on or feeldoe to add to their rather extensive collection. "Regina?"

"It's something…new. Something we've never, pursued," Regina replied softly and there was that nervous look again, the same one Emma had seen just before they'd gone up on the rooftop patio. "And I was thinking that perhaps I could be the one to…wear it."

Emma let her open the satchel and she looked inside. She knew what it was the moment she looked down at the red silicone and while it was on the small side, it was still fair in size and beside it was a small bottle of lube that likely came with the purchase itself.

"You bought a plug."

"Yes."

"An anal plug."

"I did, yes."

"For you?" Emma asked despite her previous words having been statements not questions. "Seriously?"

"Yes. And judging from just minutes ago, you aren't against the idea and neither am I, my love."

"Did you bring anything else?" Emma asked and she was beginning to grow excited with the thought of doing something completely new with Regina. She'd be lying if she said she had a fantasy or two of fucking Regina with their favourite feeldoe while she wore a plug in her anus. "Regina?"

"Should I have?" Regina asked shyly. "I thought that maybe…" She trailed off as she backed Emma up to the edge of the bed. "Maybe you could fuck me with your fingers while I wear it."

"I can do that."

"And…tease me, twist it inside of me right as I'm about to…cum."

 _Fuck_ , Emma thought, mouthing it as she pulled Regina flush against her body. She could see the slight blush creep over Regina's cheeks and she shook her head with a slight laugh as she leaned in to kiss her, to reassure her that she was on board even though she was rendered completely speechless.

"I'll be right back," Regina said as she gently pushed herself free of Emma's embrace. "I—I need to do this on my own. I may need a few moments."

"Regina?"

With a shake of her head, Regina hurried into the adjoining bathroom and Emma sat down on the edge of the bed in a huff, confused as to why Regina wanted to put the plug in herself and in the bathroom nonetheless. While she understood it was something new for both of them, she had hoped to share that initial experience with Regina, possibly even being the one to insert it inside of her. Emma groaned as she laid back on the bed and a hand instantly went between her legs to try and draw out her arousal as she circled her clit with her fingertips.

After a solid ten minutes passed, Emma was growing frustrated, her arousal peaking while she stroked herself and kept herself on edge while waiting for Regina to emerge from the bathroom. Sliding off the bed, Emma walked over to the locked bathroom door and knocked tentatively.

"Regina?" She called out. "Babe, you all right in there?"

"Yes," Regina replied quietly. "I—I need another minute."

"Regina?" Emma called out again. "Open the door, please?"

Emma heard Regina moan quietly, but she didn't unlock or open the door. This was unusual for Regina even if this was something neither of them had ever done before. Regina never got shy when it came to being intimate or to using toys in the bedroom and occasionally in their shower at home.

"Regina?"

"Emma," she murmured and Emma stepped back a little when she heard the lock click and waited for Regina to open the door. "I—I can't get it in," she said as she opened the door a crack and bit her bottom lip. "This is highly embarrassing, Emma, and I'm so sorry that I—"

"Come on," Emma smiled at her as she reached for her hand. "Let me help."

"Emma—"

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about," Emma said, the smile not even faltering as she pulled Regina out into the bedroom and she quickly slipped into the bathroom, finding the plug sitting on the edge of the Jacuzzi tub and covered in lube. She carefully picked it up and grabbed the bottle that sat next to it and hurried out into the bedroom where Regina stood at the foot of the bed with her arms wrapped self-consciously around her. "Did you try that whole time?"

"No, I—I had to prepare before I used it."

"Prepare?"

"I needed to, ah, clean up a little!" Regina snapped angrily.

"What? You're such a neat freak—"

"As I said, this is highly embarrassing. Maybe we should just forget about it completely seeing as I couldn't—"

Emma cut her off with a fierce kiss, holding the plug and the lube in her right hand while her left wrapped around her waist and pulled her in close. Even though Regina was embarrassed, Emma certainly wasn't and her whole body fired right back up when she felt Regina's hands sweep up her sides and move to cup her breasts, her thumbs rolling over her hard nipples before they broke apart from the kiss with a shared gasp.

"Just lay back," Emma murmured and Regina complied, sitting down on the bed before moving up to the middle and laid back. "Let me take care of you. Just let me know if it hurts, okay? If it hurts too much, we'll stop. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be _that_ painful, Regina."

"I'm not worried about the pain, Emma."

"Okay," Emma inhaled sharply. "Just relax."

Emma waited for Regina to spread her legs and she grabbed at the underside of her knees and pulled her legs towards her upper body. Emma knelt on the bed before her and opened the bottle of lube with one hand and hesitated for a moment before squinting at the bottle.

"Is this stuff like edible?"

"Yes, Emma, it's just a different flavour than the ones we use at home."

"Red apple?" Emma read the small lettering on the bottle before lifting it up to give it a sniff, stopping halfway when Regina gave her a pointed and rather annoyed glare. "Okay, babe, just relax," Emma breathed out as she squirted a small amount around her puckered hole and tossed the bottle after snapping the cap back on down on the bed. She used her middle finger to tease at the tight opening and after Regina exhaled, her finger slid in with ease.

"Keep going," Regina said softly, her voice wavering a little before a moan slipped past her lips. "It feels good, Emma."

"It's just my finger."

"I know."

When Regina slid her eyes shut tightly, Emma felt her relax a little more around her finger. She tested the water a little bit, taking her time as she eased her finger in to the hilt before sliding it back out until the tip was nearly out. She repeated the motion several times before she fumbled with the red plug in her other hand. She deftly slipped her finger out and pressed the tip of the plug, her eyes alternating between watching as she pressed it inside of her to flicking up to look at Regina for any signs that she wanted to stop.

Emma inhaled deeply, pressing the plug until the flat edge of it was all that remained outside of her hole. She dipped her head down and placed a kiss on the back of each thigh before easing her legs back down from the tight hold Regina had on them. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips before hopping off the bed.

"Emma wh—where are you going?"

"As much as I don't mind the way some lube tastes, I'd really rather not taste anything but _you_ right now, so I'll be right back."

Emma quickly dashed into the bathroom and grabbed one of the clean hand towels off the rack. She wiped her hands and finger clean of the lube before kneel on the bed before Regina once more. She made quick work of wiping the lube away from her skin and she blindly tossed the towel behind her as she crawled up Regina's body and slipped a thigh between her legs.

"How does it feel?" Emma whispered against her lips and Regina let out a shaky sounding laugh. "Good?"

"Yes."

"Do you need a moment?"

"Yes."

"Can I ask you something?"

"No."

Emma couldn't help but laugh and it was a laugh that quickly died on her lips the moment Regina slapped her ass hard as her eyes flicked open and glared at her darkly. She loved it when Regina got a little rough in bed, a little angry even. It always made things a little more interesting, a little more passionate. Things were never boring and repetitive with Regina Mills.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Yes."

Regina leaned up to kiss her and Emma just shook her head no as her right hand trailed along the length of Regina's body. "Not here," she murmured against her lips just as her fingertips grazed over her clit. "Here."

"Emma—"

"I'm nervous too," Emma whispered softly, stilling her finger. "We've never done this before, Regina."

"Perhaps this was a bad idea."

"No," Emma chuckled and she moved her fingers to press lightly against the base of the plug. "It feels good?" Upon Regina's tight nod she pressed her lips against hers. "Then it's not a bad idea. Let's just take a few minutes and—"

"I thought you were going to kiss me?" Regina asked, the frustration clear as day in her voice. "Emma?"

A smile curled over Emma's lips just as she leaned down to kiss her once more. It was a subtle distraction as she reached to grab one of the too many pillows that were piled up against the headboard and with a quick manoeuvre, she lifted Regina's hips and broke away from their kiss as she slid the pillow just under her lower back.

She barely missed Regina rolling her eyes as she hurriedly kissed her way down her chest, pausing to tease at one nipple and then the other before licking a lazy line down the middle of her abdomen.

Emma found early on in their relationship that there was nothing more that she loved doing than to eat Regina out. It was her favourite part of sex and there had been only a handful of times where she quite literally spent an hour between her legs. The pillow angled Regina in a way that it didn't cause Emma's neck to cramp and increased the pleasure for Regina tenfold. Emma smirked against her skin just above the thin strip of closely cropped hair because if she had her way, she would literally push this for as long as Regina would allow her.

Emma teased at her clit with the pad of her right thumb as she propped herself up on her left elbow. Her lips rained light, lingering kisses along Regina's inner thighs and she looked down at her with lust-filled eyes. She slipped her fingers through Regina's wet folds, teasing at her hole before easing a single finger inside. She could feel how much tighter she was with the plug fully inside of her and as she pressed against the thin wall it elicited the sexiest moan she'd ever heard past Regina's lips.

Emma moaned as well and the throb between her legs grew as she dipped her head down and licked over the length of Regina's cunt, still tasting faintly of the apple flavoured lube, but delicious nonetheless. She didn't want to tease her, as tempting as it was, because Regina was already reacting to every little touch and it all pointed to the signs that she was close to coming undone already.

She dipped her tongue inside Regina's tight and clenching hole, moving her fingers down to lightly tap at the base of the plug. Regina _squealed_ in delight, something she very rarely did and it only caused Emma to want to continue to make those delicious and erotic sounds draw past her full, delectable lips.

While she took her time, she certainly didn't tease and Regina's fingers sunk into her hair and her short nails dug into her scalp as a series of breathy moans and sighs were paired with squeals of delight and pleasure. Emma pulled back to catch her breath and licked over her arousal covered lips, remembering then what Regina had whispered to her what she wanted her to do when she came.

 _Tease me, twist it inside of me right as I'm about to…cum._

Emma's clit throbbed harder and she fixed her lips over Regina's clit, sucking hard as her fingers slipped over the base of the plug. It was slippery at first, but once she had her fingers on it firmly, she gave it a slight twist and Regina's hips jerked up roughly as she let out of a cry of surprise. Emma nearly lost her grip on the plug and she winced as she leaned back and Regina's fingers dug harder into her scalp.

"Regina—"

"Emma," she moaned, but she eased the grip she had on her head. "Oh my god," she cried out as Emma twisted the plug inside of her once more. "Emma!"

Emma moved to her knees, her right hand continuing to twist the plug inside of her while she brought up her left hand and deftly slipped two fingers inside. She bit her bottom lip at the sight of Regina before her, naked and writhing, her skin flushed and her fingers grasping at the white comforter hard enough to tear it.

Emma could feel the plug as she buried her fingers inside her cunt and with the way Regina's whole body was reacting she definitely wanted to fuck her with one of their strap-on's while she was wearing the plug.

When Regina's entire body tensed, Emma slammed her fingers deep inside of her and stilled them before falling forward and bracing her right hand against the mattress next to Regina's side. Regina's hot breath came out rapidly, mingling with her own just before Emma kissed her, feeling her whole body trembling as her orgasm quaked throughout her body.

Emma slipped her fingers out slowly and pulled back from Regina's lips as she brought her fingers up to lick them clean. Regina shook her head and grabbed a hold of her wrist and with a sinful smile dancing over her lips she sucked Emma's fingers into her mouth slowly.

"I want to…" Regina whispered against her fingertips as she rolled them over and pushed the pillow away.

"Yes?"

"I want to take this into the tub," she whispered softly, planting a brief kiss on Emma's lips. "Will you join me, Emma?"

"You want to go and have a bath?" Emma asked incredulously and lost her grip on Regina as she slipped off of her and off the bed with ease. "Now?"

"Yes," Regina chuckled lowly. "I'm feeling rather…dirty," she said as she took a few steps backwards towards the bathroom door and she trailed her fingers down between her breasts. "Are you coming, Emma?"

"I wish."

"Oh you will be," she chuckled lowly before turning and sauntering into the bathroom and a moment later Emma heard the water filling the Jacuzzi tub.

Emma groaned as she crawled off the bed and hurried into the bathroom. She ached in a way that only Regina could sate and she was desperate for her touch, for her to bring upon the release her body craved. They were kissing fiercely long before the Jacuzzi filled and Regina had Emma perched on the edge of the pedestal sink as she sank down to her knees, granting Emma the release she had been desperate for from the moment they had landed on the small island under the sun where they first met and fell in love.

[X]

Emma laid back on the blanket, loving the fact that Regina had persuaded her to head down to the beach early that morning to beat the crowds. Regina was in the water, wearing her white bikini, her hair now long enough for her to pull it back into a small ponytail to keep it off her neck in the early morning sun that already promised a long, hot day ahead.

Emma rose from the blanket and glanced down at the ring on her finger, the diamond catching the light of the early morning sun. With a smile, she swept her hair back into a loose ponytail as she walked along the sand towards the water. Regina cast a coy look at her as she dove into the wave, disappearing under the water and it was a look that dared Emma to follow.

She cast a glance back at the nearly empty beach and only a few hotel staff were out raking up the debris that had washed ashore throughout the night. Emma slowly approached the surf, letting her toes sink into the wet sand as she watched Regina emerge from under the water. That delicious burn in her core pulled Emma towards her. They had spent hours fucking and then making love until they fell asleep in one another's arms the night before, but Emma quite hadn't had her fill of her fiancée just yet and she wasn't sure she would before their trip was over and they had to fly home.

Regina was competitive in nature, so naturally she gave chase, swimming hard and fast away from Emma, but Emma herself was a strong swimmer, having spent hours upon hours in their pool at the condo swimming laps on nights Regina had to work late and it was the only way she found she could burn off all the energy that would've otherwise been expelled in bed.

Emma caught up to her rather quickly and once they found the sandbar, they were able to find their footing until the water came up to their breasts and the waves swelled only slightly over their shoulders as they rolled past.

"Hi."

"Hi," Regina grinned as they wrapped their arms around one another. "You caught me."

"I did. I always will. You may be fast, but I'm quicker."

"Yes, yes you are," Regina laughed, her hands smoothing over Emma's ass in a rather possessive manner. When her fingers dipped just under the edge of her bikini bottoms, Emma cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "What, darling? It's not as if anyone can see us way out here."

"It's not that…" Emma trailed off. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"As are you, my love."

"This is perfect."

"What is?"

"This. Us," Emma replied and she kissed her hard in yearning, yet kept it short as the waves pushed them apart. "I love you, Regina."

"I love you," Regina smiled as they moved closer together. "Emma?"

"Hmm?"

"I know we just got engaged, but how would you feel about getting married soon?"

Emma blinked in surprise. She knew talks of a wedding would come soon, but she certainly hadn't expected it a little over twelve hours after Regina had proposed. She rubbed her hands over Regina's hips, her thumbs stroking just over the ties on her white bikini.

"Regina, I would marry you today if I could."

"Will you?"

"Are you fucking serious?"

"Yes."


	4. Part IV

Everything seemed to be happening so quickly and Emma was convinced at first that maybe Regina had only been wishing that they would marry that day, but as soon as they returned to their room and Ruby and Kathryn joined them, she soon realized that Regina had been quite serious.

It was almost chaotic as soon as Ruby whisked Emma away and down to the room she and Kathryn were sharing and she pulled out a garment bag and laid it out on the bed, giddy with excitement as she wrapped her arms around Emma in a tight embrace.

"Oh Emma, I can't believe this is happening!"

"I can't believe it either," Emma said, sounding a little dazed as Ruby let go. "Is this really happening, Rubes? I mean we can't possibly get married down here, can we?"

"Well, not _legally_ , but yeah, it's happening, Ems. Kathryn has been notarized in the state of Massachusetts to officiate weddings. All I know is, that while it's not exactly legal _here_ , when you return home all you have to do it go and get a wedding license and renew your vows at the courthouse. I know it's all kind of backwards, but this is very real, Ems. You're getting married today!"

"I—I'm getting married today."

Ruby laughed and unzipped the garment bag. "Regina wasn't sure how everything would unfold while we were here, but she planned just about everything. She didn't pick out your dress or anything," Ruby said as she pulled the white dress out of the bag and held it up for Emma to see. "I know that a wedding dress is a pretty huge deal for a lot of people, but I hope that what I picked out is something that you would've. What do you think?"

Emma stepped forward and took the white dress from Ruby. It wasn't extremely fancy or anything and it was short, cut just around the knees and light enough that she wouldn't feel as if she were suffocating under the hot Caribbean sun. The lace that covered the dress was delicate and absolutely beautiful and Emma held the dress up to her front and smoothed her hands over the soft material.

"I don't even have any vows or anything," Emma said quietly. "I don't even know what I'm going to say!"

"Just say what you feel in your heart and in the moment, Ems. Come on, let's get you in the dress and get ready. The van will be here shortly to pick us up."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere special," Ruby smiled. "Come on," she said as she motioned for Emma to change out of her bikini and put the dress on. "We don't have much time to get ready."

"Ruby, isn't this all too fast?" Emma asked, worried for a moment that maybe it _was_ a little too fast and it probably was, but it still felt right. Ruby just snapped her fingers and Emma gave her a pointed look until she turned around and allowed her to strip out of her bikini and put the white dress on. She spotted the tiny white thong inside the bag and grabbed it, sliding it on and smoothed out her dress just as Ruby whirled around and grabbed her by her shoulders and sat her down at the small table by the window.

"You look amazing," Ruby smiled and Emma noticed the makeup and other products laid out on the table. "I know you don't like to cake the makeup on, so we're going to keep it subtle."

"Okay."

"How do you want to do your hair? This beach wave you have going on looks good, but maybe we can pin it back a little?"

"Whatever you think, Rubes," Emma replied quietly as she folded her hands in her lap. "The dress is great."

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah," Emma smiled up at her as Ruby grabbed a moisturizing cloth and began to wipe her face with it, removing the sunscreen she'd put on earlier before she and Regina had gone down to the beach to beat the crowd. "Ruby, I can't believe you were in on this!"

"I know, right?" Ruby laughed. "Regina made me promise not to utter a word and do you realize how hard that has been, Ems?"

"An impossible feat."

"But totally worth it!"

"Totally."

They fell quiet as Ruby did her makeup, doing it subtly, laying light on the eyeliner and mascara and choosing a light shade of red lipstick that didn't clash terribly with her skin. After she was done with the makeup, she moved on to Emma's hair, pinning back a few pieces and leaving a few strands to frame around her face. When she was done, she stepped back as Emma stood up and smoothed the dress down and she gasped before grabbing a hold of her and ushering her into the bathroom so she could see herself in the mirror.

Emma was blown away by the simple transformation. She stepped back to get a better look at the dress in the mirror over the sink and she stared down at her bare feet with a frown.

"I don't have any shoes."

"You won't need them," Ruby replied. "Just wear your flip-flops for the ride, all right? I'm going to get ready real quick. Just…relax, Ems. Today is going to be amazing and one of the best days of your life."

"Yeah, yeah it is."

Emma paced the room, stopping to fidget with her dress every once in a while. Ruby changed into a light blue dress; cut almost similar to her own and she did her hair and makeup quickly in the bathroom. When she emerged, Emma just smiled nervously, but she didn't have a chance to say a word because Kathryn came rushing into the room, dressed in an almost identical dress as Ruby was wearing.

"The vans are here," Kathryn said excitedly and she turned to Emma and stared at her for a full minute before she gave an appreciative whistle. "You look gorgeous, Emma."

"Thank you."

"You're nervous, aren't you?" Kathryn asked and before Emma had a chance to reply, Kathryn continued. "Regina is too. A good nervous!"

"Okay."

"Come on, ladies, the chariots await! I'll be riding with Regina and—"

"Kat, don't tell her yet!"

"Don't tell me what?"

"It's a surprise," Ruby smiled.

"Everyone is just full of surprises today, huh?" Emma sighed and Ruby slung an arm around her shoulders. "This is the last surprise, right?"

"Yes," Ruby said as she led her out of the room. "The last one, I promise you."

Emma nodded and fell silent, butterflies already taking flight in her stomach as they rode the elevator down to the lobby together. Kathryn rushed out the elevator first after she told Ruby and Emma to wait a few minutes. They were both adamant about Emma and Regina not seeing one another until they got to the location where the wedding ceremony was going to be held. Every time Emma asked Ruby where they were going, she just shook her head and told her she would have to wait and see.

Once they were out of the hotel and in the white van that was waiting, Ruby told the driver to wait for a minute. Emma looked at Ruby incredulously as her nerves were already skyrocketing and when she heard a thump on the side door, she jumped just as Ruby opened it.

"Granny?!" Emma gasped as she saw the woman who had practically become her own grandmother over the years. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" Granny asked as she shuffled to climb into the van with them. "Do you think I'm going to miss your wedding, Emma?"

"No?"

"It's stifling hot down here!" Granny groaned and she tapped the driver on the shoulder. "Do you have AC in this thing?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Can you crank it, please?"

"Of course, ma'am."

Granny laughed as she sat back in the seat and turned a little to look at Emma. Her lips trembled and her eyes filled with tears as she reached out to hug her. "I am so very happy for you, Emma, and I'm happy that I have the chance to share this day with you and Regina."

"I'm happy you're here too, Granny," Emma said and she kissed her on the cheek softly before Granny pulled back from their hug. "When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago," she replied. "The flight was early and I'm exhausted to be honest. I had to sit behind a couple with a crying baby for four hours. Do you know what kind of torture that is? The worst you can imagine. Like pulling teeth."

Emma laughed and shook her head while Granny continued on, talking about how she had to leave the diner in the hands of one of the waitresses and how she would go on a murderous rage if anything happened while she was gone. Listening to her ramble on and on quelled the nerves a little, but as they drove further away from the hotel and turned onto a dirt road that was barely a road, the nerves came back tenfold.

After they drove for nearly an hour, the van finally came to a stop and the three of them got out. Emma took in her surroundings. They were in the middle of the jungle and just faintly she could hear the roar of a waterfall nearby. Ruby took her hand and led her down a narrow pathway and they came to a stop where a small white tent was set up and Emma was ushered inside quickly.

"Stay right here for a minute, okay?" Ruby said and Emma nodded, watching her as she rushed out of the tent.

"Don't be nervous," Granny said softly as she put a hand on her shoulder.

"I can't help it, Granny. I'm getting married! Today! Right now!" Emma exclaimed and Granny just pulled her into a hug. "Regina just proposed last night. I—I never thought this would happen so quickly!"

"Are you having second thoughts?"

"No, I—"

"Are you not ready to marry the love of your life?"

"It's not that—"

"It's perfectly normal to be nervous, Emma. Regina put a lot of thought into this and arranged everything. Are you okay with that?"

"That she did all of this?" Emma asked and Granny just nodded her head. "It's great, it's perfect, but I—"

"Wanted to have a part of planning the biggest day of your life?"

Emma fell silent, unsure of what her answer was. While she loved the surprise of getting married a day after they got engaged, she had no idea what was in store and that alone made her more nervous than marrying Regina Mills. She didn't mind that Regina had planned everything and had involved their friends. She didn't even mind that she hadn't been able to pick out her own dress either since the one that Ruby had selected for her was something she would've chosen herself.

"You all ready to go?" Kathryn asked as she poked her head into the opening of the tent and upon Emma's reluctant nod, she stepped inside the tent. "It's okay that you're nervous, Emma. I'll walk you through it quickly," Kathryn said and she motioned to Granny to leave and give them a moment alone. "There is a path leading up to a lookout point near the top of the falls. Regina will be waiting up there for you and Granny will walk you up the stairs to meet your bride."

"Okay."

"As you know, I'll be officiating the ceremony. We'll have you two do your vows and don't worry about a thing, Emma. Just speak from your heart."

"That's what Ruby said."

"We'll exchange the rings and do the traditional vows afterwards. Graham will be photographing the ceremony."

"Graham is here?" Emma asked in surprise. "Who else is here, Kathryn?"

"Cora is here," she said quietly. "When she caught wind of what Regina was planning, she made sure she would be here. I spent a few hours last night making phone calls and arranging for Granny, Graham, and Cora to fly down here for the ceremony."

"Okay," Emma said, swallowing nervously. "Is that all who is here then?"

"Yes. Regina wanted to keep it small. Unfortunately, her sister was unable to make it down for the ceremony."

"Okay."

"Just relax, Emma. Regina is just as nervous as you are. Now, are you ready to go and get married?"

Emma inhaled deeply a few times before nodding her head. "I'm ready."

Kathryn gave her a small hug before slipping out of the tent. Emma took a few deep breaths before exiting and found Granny waiting for her with a proud smile on her face. She held out her arm and Emma took it, allowing Granny to lead the way along the stone-lined pathway. Emma slipped out of her flip-flops before they started up the stone steps that were wet from the spray of the water that rushed down the river and splashed over the edge of the steps.

As soon as Emma's eyes landed on Regina, her breath was taken away completely at the sight of her soon-to-be wife. Kathryn stood near the edge of the lookout over the falls and Cora stood beside Regina. Ruby was up there too, beaming as she stared down at Emma and upon Kathryn's signal, they continued up the rest of the way while Graham moved around fluidly to take pictures with Kathryn's camera.

Regina reached out for her hand as she stepped up the last step and Emma took it, smiling widely as she moved to stand in front of her incredibly gorgeous soon-to-be wife. She wanted to kiss her senseless, but knew that would happen afterwards. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest hard and fast.

"Hello, my love."

"Hi."

"You look beautiful," Regina whispered and she moved to place a soft kiss on Emma's cheek. "Absolutely beautiful."

"You look amazing, Regina."

"Shall we begin?" Kathryn asked with a wink and Emma laughed with Regina as they joined both their hands and faced Kathryn. "Today is a very special day, a day where two people in love will join together for now and eternity. To find your true love, the chance doesn't come along every day, but for Emma and Regina, the chance came a year ago when they met here on this beautiful island in the sun. Their love flourished from the moment they first met and it blossomed as the months turned into a year until they stand here before you to profess their never-ending love and devotion to one another."

Emma turned to Regina, smiling so wide it almost hurt, and her heart skipped when she saw the watery tears filling Regina's beautiful brown eyes. She stepped closer and lifted a hand to wipe at the few tears that fell from Regina's eyes and she leaned in to kiss her softly, their lips lingering for a moment as they both took it all in.

"I don't think we're supposed to kiss yet, darling," Regina whispered and Emma shrugged and pressed her lips to hers once more. "I love you."

"I love you," Emma whispered breathlessly before they parted and turned to face Kathryn once more.

"Love is a miraculous gift, and a wedding is a celebration of that magic, and that magic is why we are here today. We are gathered here today to witness the marriage, the partnership of Emma Swan and Regina Mills, two women who found each other through fate, through destiny, and by chance. Today is about love, about promise, about life and partnership. Today is the beginning of their new life with one another," Kathryn said and she paused as a sudden sob came from Cora. Regina looked over at her mother and let go of Emma's left hand to reach out for her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before turning back to face Emma once more. "Today, it is with great pleasure and honour that I join the two of you in marriage. Today, it is with great pleasure and honour that I, along with family and friends, witness your love for one another."

Emma just stared lovingly into Regina's eyes. She had thought of marrying Regina one day many, many times, but none of her dreams, her fantasies, ever came close to the moment they were sharing. None of her dreams included a waterfall practically at their feet with the blazing hot Caribbean sun shining down through the trees. It was perfect in every way and even now she still felt the nerves taking flight in her stomach and she grasped on a little tighter to Regina's hands as Kathryn continued to speak.

The vows they exchanged were traditional, but when they each repeated after Kathryn, it was no less emotional than had it been with their own written vows. Emma barely took her eyes off of Regina the whole time, their eyes locked in a loving, longing gaze. Ruby had the rings and after she nearly tripped and dropped them, recovering gracefully thankfully, they exchanged the rings, both white gold bands that matched Emma's ring perfectly.

Everyone was in tears as Kathryn proclaimed them wives and motioned for them both to kiss to end the ceremony. Emma lingering for a moment, relishing in the feel of Regina's lips against her own, their bodies melded together tightly as the light spray of the water hit their skin and soaked into their dresses. It was Regina who deepened the kiss and they both ignored the whoops that erupted from their family and friends behind them, falling into one another as the rest of the world slipped away.

"Ready?" Regina murmured against Emma's lips before Emma pulled back in surprise.

"Ready for what?"

"To jump," Regina said as she guided Emma towards the edge of the rock platform.

"Jump where?" Emma asked in a panic as she looked over the edge and into the pool of water below. "There?"

"Yes."

"Are you serious, Regina?"

Regina laughed. "I am. Are you ready, my love?"

"Are you crazy?!" Emma asked in a hushed whisper. "I'm not jumping off the side of a waterfall!"

Regina just grinned and took her hand in her own, holding on tight as she moved to the edge. "Perhaps you just need a little push. Hold your breath."

Emma panicked the moment Regina jumped off the edge, pulling her with her, but she recovered quickly enough, holding her breath and on to Regina's hand tightly in the seconds before they plunged into the cool water below.

They surfaced together and Emma gasped, shivering slightly as they swam until their feet hit the bottom. Regina laughed as she wrapped her arms around Emma and kissed her, hard and deep. They only pulled apart when they heard Ruby scream in the seconds before she hit the water. Kathryn and Graham followed and the five of them laughed as they swam towards the rocks to pull themselves out of the water.

"You _are_ crazy, aren't you?" Emma asked Regina.

"I am, darling," she laughed and wrapped her arms around Emma's hips, lifting her up off her feet to spin her around. "And you're stuck with me now, my love."

"With your crazy ass, you mean," Emma laughed as Regina set her back down on her feet and they met halfway for a kiss, one that was short-lived due to laughter that neither recognized nearby. "Where to now?"

"Well," Regina said as she ran her fingers up and down Emma's arms. "We have dinner planned, but that's not for much later. I was thinking…"

"Yes?"

"We have that tent up there," Regina said as she nodded towards the top of the waterfall where they had been standing mere minutes before. "I brought along a change of clothes for us both."

"Yeah?"

"I want to fuck my wife," Regina whispered into her ear. "I cannot wait until later. I need you now."

"Regina—"

Emma couldn't get out another word as Regina's lips were on hers once more. Regina was insistent, her hands moving down to grab at her ass despite Emma trying to push her hands away. It wasn't until Cora cleared her throat that Regina pulled away first. She laughed and reached for Emma's hand just as Cora flung her arms around them both.

"Thank you for having me here on such a special day," she whispered, placing a kiss on Regina's cheek and then one on Emma's before she stepped back. "Don't you think jumping off of a waterfall was a little excessive, Regina?"

"Maybe," she chuckled. "But it was incredibly fun and thrilling."

"You're certainly going to have your hands full with this one, Emma," Cora said with a friendly, warm smile. "Good luck, dear."

"Thank you."

Regina smiled over at her and they intertwined their hands as they walked towards the path that would lead them back up to the top of the waterfall. Graham trailed close behind with the camera, snapping pictures every couple of steps. When they reached the tent, Regina turned to Graham, placing a hand on his chest when he tried to follow them inside.

"That," Regina said with a shake of her head, "is not something either of us are into, Graham."

"It'd make a hell of a good wedding album," he chuckled throatily and upon Regina's glare, he held his free hand up in surrender. "Right. I'll leave you two beautiful brides and allow you two a moment alone."

Emma pulled Regina inside the small white tent with a smile and while it wouldn't afford them much privacy at all, it still gave them enough privacy to enjoy their first moments, their first memories they would make as a married couple. Emma looked around the tent, something she hadn't thought of doing before since the nerves had been in full force at the time. There was a single wooden chair off to one side with a garment bag draped over the back.

Regina's lips were on hers before she could say a word and Regina's hands were already lifting at the bottom of her dress, her palms skirting up the back of her thighs hurriedly. Emma moaned as Regina pulled at her wet underwear, sliding them down her legs under her dress, her hands already smoothing over her ass before she even stepped out of them. She threw her head back, her hands gripping on to Regina's shoulders as Regina's lips trailed down her neck, her right hand moving to slip between her thighs.

"Regina," Emma murmured as Regina's fingers slipped between her folds and teased at her clit. "Babe, maybe we should just wait until we get back to the room and—oh fuck."

"Yes, darling," Regina purred, deftly slipping two fingers inside of her with ease as she kissed her way up her neck and back to Emma's lips. "We're going to fuck, my love."

"Where?"

"Right here," she murmured before sucking Emma's bottom lip between hers just as she moved her thumb over Emma's aching clit. "And when we get back to our room, I am going to show you how much I love you, over," she gasped as she thrust her fingers harder and deeper inside of Emma. "And over and over again."

Emma's legs nearly gave out from her in that moment and Regina pulled her fingers out of her, slicking them over her cunt languidly before pulling her hand out from under her wet dress. Regina laughed deliciously as she lifted her fingers to her lips and licked them clean. Emma bit her lip, watching her wife as she purred while she tasted her on her fingers and Emma groaned as Regina pushed her down on top of the single chair, the garment bag that was draped over the back falling to the ground.

Emma was breathless as she watched her wife shimmy out of her wet dress, and she was about to mention that it was not only wet but getting dirty as Regina let it fall to the floor, but she clamped her mouth shut as Regina strolled over to her wearing just a skimpy white thong and nothing else.

"God, you're beautiful," Emma whispered under her breath. "Come here."

"No," Regina said with a teasing smile. "Stand up." When Emma complied, Regina stepped closer and lifted her hands to the straps of her dress and slid them down over her shoulders. "Turn around."

Emma did slowly, her eyes closing as Regina reached for the small zipper on the back of her dress and eased it down. She moaned with every press of Regina's lips along her spine as her dress was pushed down and she leaned back into Regina as it pooled at her feet and Regina's arms wrapped around her from behind. Emma turned her head to meet Regina halfway for a kiss.

Emma's heart was racing and not just because her wife— _her wife_ —was making her feel so much all at once, but because they were in the middle of a jungle, fifty feet from a waterfall inside of a tent and the prospect of being heard was extremely high. They had never been together outside of the privacy of their own home and while there had been moments in Regina's car on nights they went out for dinner and ended up making out in the back seat, this was on a whole other level and Emma was feeling nervous beyond belief.

"Regina…"

"Yes, my love?"

"I—I don't know if I can—"

"No one is going to disturb us," Regina murmured into her ear, her hands skimming up over her abdomen and she cupped Emma's bare breasts firmly and possessively. "Everyone that is here for us today, they're all down enjoying a nice swim in the water. The vans don't come back for another hour and I…I am most looking forward to _fucking my wife_ not far from where we just got married. Do you object?"

"N—no."

Regina turned Emma around in her arms, her voice soft, her eyes worrying yet still filled with the ever-familiar look of love and lust. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"You're not."

"You know I always want you, Regina," Emma whispered as she ran her fingers through Regina's damp hair. "Always, but this?" She laughed shortly as she looked around at the tent they were in. "You know I can't be with you in all the way I want to when I can't even stand on my own two feet. You touch me and I just…"

"You just?"

"Even when you just kiss me sometimes, I feel the whole world slip out from beneath me."

Regina didn't say a word as she held Emma tight. They swayed slightly together and it was the sound of laughter, just faintly, that pulled them back to their senses and Emma was the first to laugh, to break their sudden silence. Regina placed a kiss on her lips, her forehead, and the tip of her nose before moving to pick up the garment bag that had fallen off the back of the chair.

Putting a stop to what had started between them once they entered the tent was one thing, but getting dressed in identical dresses as the ones they had essentially ruined when they'd jumped over the edge of the waterfall was another. Neither could keep their hands or lips off one another and by the time they emerged from inside the tent, everyone was waiting just outside for them and the vans, albeit fifteen minutes earlier than scheduled, were idling on the gravel road at the end of the path.

They didn't return to the resort, instead they were driven to a local private beach with jutting cliffs high above. Graham wasn't the only one taking pictures, Granny had her own camera as did Cora and Kathryn. Ruby yelled out at them every couple of minutes, instructing them where to stand, how to pose, but none of it mattered much to either of them, they were just too lost within one another's loving gaze that all they saw and heard was each other.

By the time they made it back into the van, with Ruby and Kathryn sitting behind them without a doubt, the sun was beginning to set and all that Ruby and Kathryn could talk about was the informal reception they had planned and were already late for. Yet, despite the chatter between their two best friends, Emma and Regina only focused on one another and Emma had to swat away Regina's ever wandering hands as the driver drove them down the bumpy, bendy road that lead back to the resort.

Emma wasn't sure what was waiting for her when they got back to the resort, but what they came back to was nothing short of a surprise. The restaurant was turned into a full-fledged reception and even people who didn't know them cheered as Ruby took a hold of the microphone from the lead singer in the local band that had been hired to play and announced the newlyweds to the crowd.

Emma surely hadn't dreamt this day would turn out the way it had, but she was happy. Regina was happy. Their family and friends and complete strangers were happy while they celebrated the love between Emma and Regina.

And that was all that matter. Love. Love like nothing she'd ever experienced before and love she knew she'd know for the rest of her days, forever and for eternity and beyond.

[X]

Regina growled delightfully as she pressed her wife up against the wall beside the door of their room, her lips attached to Emma's and her hands grasping at her body in an almost sense of desperation, a need that hadn't yet been sated. For hours they had wined and dined and danced. For hours she fought to keep her hands to herself, but the drive to touch her wife, to kiss her, to make love to her had left her wanting in an almost unbearable and desperate need.

She had spent weeks upon weeks planning the engagement, the wedding ceremony, weeks planning for any scenario that could happen, an alternative to the waterfalls, a beachside ceremony. Weeks of planning and everything had fallen into place the moment Emma had said yes.

"Regina," Emma murmured against her lips. "Babe, we need to go inside."

She laughed as she used the key card Kathryn had handed to her before they'd gotten on to the elevator minutes before and unlocked the door to the honeymoon suite. They were kissing again before they even got inside the room and Emma's fingers were already working on the zipper on the back of her dress before they even shut the door behind them.

Regina stopped her before she could slip her dress off of her and she placed the key card on the table by the door and took her wife's hands in her own. With a smile, she led Emma into the bedroom.

"Do you have another surprise, Regina?"

"No," she smiled as she slipped out of her dress and helped Emma out of hers slowly despite the driving need to feel her naked body against her own. "No more surprises. Just you," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around her and kissed her softly. "And me."

"Well," Emma grinned as she pulled Regina down with her on the bed. "I quite liked the last surprise you had, Regina."

"Did you?"

"Very much," Emma whispered, her hands grasping at Regina's ass before she tugged on the edge of her thong. "In fact, I was thinking when we get home, I want to fuck you with one of our strap-on's while you wear the plug."

Regina moaned. She'd been thinking the same thing and wished she had packed the feeldoe both of them preferred over anything else. She lifted up from Emma, helping her remove her thong and she settled back down on top of her, grinding her pussy down against Emma's as they kissed hungrily.

She could taste the wine on Emma's lips and tongue and she moaned as she let Emma take over, rolling until Emma was on top and grinding herself down against Regina's thigh. Regina smoothed her hands down Emma's back, her tongue swirling with Emma's before she pulled back with a gasp. Emma shifted until she was settled between Regina's legs once more and they just stared into one another's eyes, the moment hanging between them.

Regina loved moments just like that, where nothing else existed in the world aside from each other. Regina ran her fingers through Emma's hair lightly before she gripped at the nape of Emma's neck and rolled her hips upwards, feeling how hot and wet she was against her. She shifted beneath Emma just as she pulled her down for another kiss, this one slow and passionate and full of promise and love.

Emma looked down at her when they parted from the kiss, both breathing heavily as they just lay together. Emma smiled as she lifted a hand to brush aside Regina's hair, placing soft kisses along her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her chin, and finally her lips. Taking advantage of Emma's lazy distraction, she rolled her over on to her back and placed a finger over her lips before the protest she knew was coming could slip out.

"Every day," Regina murmured as she kissed her way down the length of Emma's neck, "I fall more and more in love with you," she said, nipping at her collarbone before she knelt between Emma's legs. "Every day you show me how much you love me too, whether it be with just a look," she said and lifted her head to look into Emma's eyes. "With a kiss," she ducked her head down and kissed along warm skin just below her collarbone and the mark she'd just left. "Or whether it be with a touch."

Regina slid a hand up Emma's left thigh, her nails raking along her skin lightly, eliciting a throaty moan past Emma's lips that she felt against her own as she continued to kiss over her warm, soft, sweet skin.

"Every day," she continued, her fingers trailing higher up Emma's inner thigh and she felt her tremble in anticipation of where those fingers were headed. "Every day that I am with you, I cannot see a future without you there at my side. I knew a year ago, the first time we were together, that I would marry you one day," she said and her breath hitched in her chest as a wave of emotion came over her. "I knew long before I even met you that you were out there, somewhere, waiting for me. I never used to believe in fate, in destiny, until I met you."

Emma's hands sunk into her hair and pulled her up until their lips crushed together hard. Regina's fingers still just before they reached the apex of Emma's thighs and she lost herself in the kiss, one filled with heated, hungry passion. When Regina pulled back, she nipped at Emma's bottom lip and grinned before moving her lips back down to Emma's chest.

"Every day you surprise me, Emma, you surprise me in ways you don't even know. Every day I feel the passion between us grow and you, my love, grow more insatiable as the days pass by."

"Regina…"

"Every day that I make love to you, _with_ you, it feels like the very first time," she breathed out, her lips hovering over a hardening nipple that she took between her lips and sucked gently. "Every day, when I dream of our future together, do you know what I see?"

"You and me?" Emma murmured and Regina laughed, nodding her head before she trailed the tip of her tongue across the valley between Emma's breasts.

"You and me," she repeated. "One day, a baby," she said so quietly she was certain Emma hadn't heard her, so certain of it until Emma stopped her hand just as her fingers brushed along her folds.

"Regina?" Emma asked with wide eyes and trepidation. "A baby? You and me?"

"One day," Regina nodded. "Whenever you're ready, whenever _we're_ ready."

"One day," Emma repeated softly, the anxiety that had been in her eyes gone in an instant. "I'd like that."

Regina smiled and planted a soft, loving, lingering kiss on her lips before moving back down to her breasts, teasing over one nipple with the tip of her tongue as her fingers moved back up her inner thigh and slipped between her folds. No more words fell past her lips as she kissed, licked, and nipped her way down Emma's flat abdomen and settled in between her thighs.

Every lick along her folds was slow, deliberate, teasing. Every swirl of her tongue against her clit drew out a steady stream of breathy sighs and moans as Emma writhed against her tongue and grasped at the sheets on the bed as her back arched and her hips rolled forward, silently begging for more. Regina breathed out sharply, her hot breath tickling over Emma's sensitive clit as she spread her lips with her fingers and slipped her tongue inside her clenching hole.

She withdrew her tongue with a moan that trembled past her lips and she deftly slipped two fingers inside of her, her eyes drifting up Emma's writhing body to watch her in the throes of ecstasy. She twisted and curled her fingers inside of Emma, her eyes flicking down to watch as they sunk deep inside of her. When she drew them out slowly, they were slick and wet and it spurned a deep hunger from deep inside her core.

Fixating her mouth over Emma's clit, she sucked and teased, nipped and licked. She knew how far she could take the teasing touches until Emma practically begged her for more, but tonight was more than teasing, it was more than begging. Regina leaned back just a little, inhaling the musky scent of her wife, her lover, her best friend and partner. She could feel the way her inner walls grasped at her fingers just how close she was, yet she drew it out, stilling her fingers as she buried them to the hilt and pulled her mouth away.

She licked a trail along the inside of her left thigh, pausing to place a feather-light kiss over her sensitive, throbbing clit, before trailing her tongue over her right thigh. She kept her fingers still, buried deep inside of her as she kissed her way up Emma's body until she reached her lips. They kissed wild and wanton until Emma was trembling beneath her, her hips rolling against her hair, urging her to move her all too still fingers once more.

Regina gasped as Emma thrust her hand between her legs, her fingers not teasing unlike her own. Regina moaned into Emma's mouth, her hips rolling down against her hand as two fingers slipped inside of her with ease.

Like most warm evenings in the Caribbean, a sudden storm rolled in overhead, thunder shaking the building, but it was nothing like the storm brewing between the two newlyweds, both teetering over a steep edge, seeking release that was about to come thundering through their bodies.

"Regina…"

"Emma," she moaned as she pressed her forehead against her wife's, both breathing hard, fast, erratically as they fucked each other with endless abandon.

Emma moaned loudly, her orgasm rippling through her in waves and Regina kissed her hard as her own boiled beneath her skin, erupting throughout her hard and fast as fingers stilled and their bodies quaked in the aftermath.

Without giving one another time to recover, Emma rolled them over and grinned as she straddled Regina's hips. Regina just smiled up at her beautiful, loving wife as she ran her hands up over her hips and around to grasp at her firm backside.

"Insatiable."

"Always for you. Always."

[X]

Regina lay out on the blanket and adjusted the straps of her white bikini, her eyes lingering across the crowded beach until they landed on her wife out in the water with Ruby.

Regina was happy, happier than she'd ever been her whole life, happier than she'd been since she and Emma first got together. She glanced at the wedding band on her left ring finger and smiled before she looked back over at Emma as she walked out of the water and across the sand towards her. She sat down on the blanket, the water running down her blonde hair and down her back as she reached for her big floppy hat and placed it on her head with a content sigh.

"Feeling refreshed now?" Regina asked with a husky purr to her voice, her hand reaching out for Emma's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Darling?"

"Oh, much," Emma grinned and from the look in her eyes, one that mirrored her own no doubt, Emma wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss her. "Where is your mother?"

"In the pool with Graham. She has an irrational fear of sharks."

"But there aren't any sharks over this way."

"She's convinced herself otherwise," Regina chuckled throatily. "Have you seen Kathryn at all today?"

"Ruby said she's sleeping off her hangover. Specifically requested not to be bothered for any reason. Guess the party went on long after we left last night."

"Yes, it appears so."

"Granny is sleeping one off too," Emma said and they still hadn't let go of one another's hand and she stroked her thumb over Regina's lightly. "Yesterday was incredible, Regina."

"Yes," she smiled and lifted Emma's hand and placed a kiss over her knuckles lightly. "Absolutely incredible. Yesterday was the best day of my life."

"Our life," Emma grinned. "I love you, Regina."

"I—"

"Drinks for the newlyweds?" The bartender asked as he was suddenly standing near their feet holding a small tray with two glasses, sunsets, on them. "Now, no need to be shy," he chuckled as they accepted the drinks they hadn't ordered.

"Thank you," Emma said with a hint of a blush in her cheeks.

"You make a beautiful couple," he said with a sincere smile. "I wish you two nothing but love and happiness in your coming days."

"Thank you," Regina smiled and raised her glass. "And thank you for the drinks."

He gave a curt bow before walking away and Emma just laughed as she sipped her drink. Regina's eyes trailed over her body, drinking in the sight of her tanned flesh and the dozens of little love bites she'd left the night before, most fading, some darker than others, but there nonetheless.

They spent the day lounging on the beach, stealing kisses while they were in the water and exchanging nothing but looks of longing and silent promises of another night filled with passion and love. For Regina, it felt like the beginning all over again, every touch eliciting that fiery passion that burned so hotly between them, igniting it in ways it never had been before.

For the next week, they spent their days out on the beach and in the water and their nights in bed, making love for hours until they couldn't find an ounce more of energy between the two of them, finding just enough to crawl into one another's arms and fall asleep.

By the time they returned to Boston, they started talking about having a baby, but after they made their marriage official, renewing their vows in the courthouse not far from the condo, talks of having a baby were put on the backburner as Emma got a job at the Boston Globe as junior editor and Regina was swamped with new clients that came with too long hours at the office and left them both with hardly any time to see one another.

It wasn't until September that Regina came home early one afternoon, exhausted and in need of a glass of wine and she found Emma sitting in the living room with a pile of folders in front of her and a glass of wine already in her hand. Regina kicked off her heels and after she got a glass for herself, she joined her wife on the couch. It felt like forever since she'd seen her last, since she'd kissed her, touched her, made love with her.

"How have you been, my love?" Regina whispered as she leaned in for a kiss, one that was far too chaste than she would have preferred. "A new project?"

"Something like that," Emma said with a slight nod and she reached for the folder on top and handed it to her. "I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"I want to have a baby, Regina."

"I thought we said before that we'd talk about this again when things slowed down?" Regina asked. "Not that I'm not thrilled you want to talk about this, but you know how busy things get around this time of the year and—"

"They laid me off today," Emma said into her nearly empty glass of wine before she downed the last mouthful. "Budget cuts or whatever, it doesn't matter. I stopped at the clinic on the way home and well," she said as she waved at the folders in front of her. "I got more than enough information on how to go about us making a baby together."

"Oh Emma," Regina sighed as she pulled her tearful wife into her arms. "I'm sorry. I know this wasn't your dream job, but it was close to it. I am sorry this happened. Did you at least get your severance pay? Is it fair?"

"Regina—"

"If it's not, we can fight this, Emma. You were signed on to a year contract. They still owe you for—"

"Regina, it's fine. I don't care. You know why?" Emma asked and Regina shook her head no. "Because I'm taking this as a sign. A sign that it is time to start a family together."

Regina's heart was racing as she placed her glass on the coffee table next to the folders and pulled Emma on to her lap. "You really want to start a family?"

"Yes, I do."

"Am I or are you—"

"Can I?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Emma smiled as she ran her fingers through Regina's hair and placed a sweet, loving kiss on her lips. "I can pick up some freelance jobs on the side and you can keep working, doing what you do best. This is fate, Regina."

"Is it?"

"Yes."

"So," Regina smiled as she slipped her hands under Emma's plain white t-shirt, her palms smoothing over the soft skin of her lower back. "When do you want to start making a baby?"

"I—I made an appointment for next week," Emma whispered and she lifted her arms up as Regina slid her shirt upwards slowly. "On Wednesday."

"Hmm?" Regina tossed her shirt behind them as her lips moved to kiss along her collarbone. "I'll make sure to take the day off."

"Regina?"

"Yes, darling?"

"What are you doing home early?" Emma asked and Regina just laughed as her fingers flicked open the clasp of Emma's bra with ease.

"I'm tired, so very tired. I left work early because, as you said last week, we've both been overworking ourselves beyond exhaustion and I got thinking this afternoon during the board meeting that we need to start making time for each other again."

"And we will."

She smiled up at her wife as she slipped off her bra. "Yes, we will."

"Regina?" Emma stopped her just as she playfully nipped at a semi-erect nipple. Emma laughed as Regina continued to tease her and she threaded her fingers through her hair, pulling her away. "I love you."

"I love you," Regina echoed, her smile matching Emma's in the moments before their lips met in a heated kiss and suddenly she didn't feel as exhausted as she had before she'd come home. "Let me show you just how much I love you…"

[X]

 _One Year Later…_

"Hey," Emma smiled as she wrapped her arms around Regina from behind. "It smells good," she whispered as Regina stirred the sauce in the pot. "Lasagna?"

"Yes," Regina smiled, melting into her wife's warm embrace. "Is he asleep?"

"Yes," Emma murmured as she kissed along Regina's neck softly. "He was fussy, but he finally settled. That gives you and me," she said as Regina turned in her arms slowly, "a little over an hour."

"Emma—"

"The sauce can wait," she said as she fisted her hands into the apron Regina wore and reached for the knob to turn the burner off. "I can't."

Regina laughed and allowed to be led into their bedroom. In the months since their son Henry had been born, they hadn't had a chance to make love, not when Emma was still healing and losing the excess weight that clung to her normally thin frame after having the baby. Regina never pressed her, waiting for when she was ready, always ever so patient and understanding.

The insemination treatments were successful after the second round and once they'd gotten confirmation that they were indeed pregnant, their whole lives began to change, little by little. Their lives became more about their unborn baby, preparing for his arrival once they found out it was a boy, than it was about each other and their marriage.

On their second anniversary, their plans to fly down to Jamaica for the week were dampened by the news that Emma, who was eight months pregnant, was not cleared to fly because she was so close to carrying the baby to term. Instead they spent the week together lounging by the pool, Regina wearing the white bikini that had, by then, seen better days. She wore it every day that week until Emma, in a fit of hormone-induced arousal, had all but ripped it off of her, deeming it nothing more than scraps of useless fabric.

Even after that, for some reason unknown to her, Regina kept it instead of tossing it into the garbage and even the replacement, which was white and cut similar, still wasn't quite the same. It hadn't held the memories like the old one had and while it was just a white bikini, it was also so much more than that. But the new one carried memories of its own since Regina had worn it in the birthing pool as she sat behind Emma while she spent seven and a half hours in labour with their son.

"Shh," Emma giggled as Regina bumped carelessly into the wall beside their bedroom door. "Don't wake him."

Regina just shook her head and slipped her hands down to Emma's ass, lifting her into her arms and carrying her the short distance into the bedroom and down on to the bed. Regina wouldn't admit out loud that she missed Emma, that she missed their alone time, but actions always spoke louder than words and she knew that Emma knew how much she had been waiting for this, especially since it had been almost three months, two of those since Henry was born, the month before because Emma was cranky and never in the mood.

Regina took her time undressing her wife, kissing every inch of skin as it was exposed and she kissed each of the fading stretch marks around her hips with loving care, lingering for a moment or two before moving to the next. Emma stopped her and moved to kneel before her on the bed, taking off her apron with a smirk before reaching for the zipper of her simple black dress she'd worn to work earlier.

"Slow is good," Emma said, her teeth nipping at the top of Regina's breasts as she pulled the dress down. "Slow is not what we need right now."

"No?"

"No."

Regina exhaled shakily and allowed Emma to hurriedly undress her and she gasped when Emma pushed her down on to her back and straddled her. Regina's heart was racing wildly as Emma rolled her hips down salaciously and moaned as Regina grabbed on to her hips and pulled her down harder against her. Regina stopped her when she made a move towards the bedside table, the drawer filled with various toys they liked to use once in awhile.

"No," Regina murmured quietly and she rolled them over, settling her weight down on top of Emma's naked body. "Just us right now, my love. Just us."

"Just us."

They made love until the wailing cries of a hungry two-month-old Henry sounded over the baby monitor. Regina told Emma to stay in bed and she slipped on her robe, kissing her now dozing wife on the forehead before walking into their son's nursery. Regina tied the robe shut and lifted the baby out of the crib, cradling him against her chest as she smoothed a hand over his back.

"Mommy is here, baby," she whispered, kissing the top of his head and inhaling deeply. "Are you hungry, Henry? You are, aren't you? Mama is sleeping, so we'll need to be quiet now," she said as she carried him out of the nursery and into the kitchen.

She pulled out one of the bottles Emma had pumped into earlier that day and after warming it up, she carried the baby into her and Emma's bedroom where she moved quietly to sit on the bed next to her slumbering wife and fed their son. She was so engrossed in watching him eat that she hadn't noticed Emma had woken up from her brief nap and was watching the two of them with nothing but love shining brightly in her eyes.

"You are so amazing with him, Regina," Emma whispered as she moved to lay her head in her lap, her fingers trailing over the arm that held their son before she stroked a single finger over his chubby cheek. "So amazing."

"As are you, my love."

"Did you ever think our lives would end up this way?"

"Yes, only it's become so much better than anything I ever imagined it to be."

"What do you think about going down next year with him?" Emma asked and Regina just smiled and eased the bottle away from Henry's hungry lips. "He'll be almost a year. You don't think it'll be too much for him?"

"No, of course not," Regina said and Emma moved to sit up beside her, resting her head on her shoulder as she reached out for Henry's little hand. "It won't be like before. Not with a little one to look after."

"No," Emma smiled and she kissed her cheek and leaned down to kiss Henry's just before Regina lifted him to burp him gently. "No, it'll be better because we'll all be there together. Right where it all started."

Regina turned as she rubbed over Henry's back and met Emma for a short, sweet kiss that left them both smiling with happy tears in their eyes. She kissed her wife once more before laying a soft kiss on top of Henry's head.

Better. Regina couldn't imagine their life getting any better than it already was in that very moment, but she couldn't wait to see what would come next.

 **The End**


End file.
